«•« 

I 


RHYTHMIC  B 


3  1822017065533 


ELLA  AD: 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  Of 
CALIFORNIA 

SAN  D1EQO 


Central  University  Library 

University  of  California,  San  Diego 
Please  Note:  This  item  is  subject  to  recall. 

Date  Due 


Q  3  199 

' 


FEB  08 


0139(7/93) 


UCSDLto. 


UNVERST     OF  CALIFORNIA,     AN  DIEG 


3  1822017065533 


The   Law  of  the 
Rhythmic  Breath 

Teaching  the  Genera- 
tion, Conservation,  and 
Control  of  Vital  Force 

BY 
ELLA  ADELIA  FLETCHER 

Author  of 
"The  Woman  Beautiful"  "The  Philosophy  of  Rest" 


Life  is  from  moment  to  moment;  and 
its  perfection  depends  upon  our  ability 
to  maintain  such  a  perfect  balance  of  the 
vital  forces  that  harmonious  vibrations 
without  shall  find  their  affinity  within. 


R.    F.    FENNO    &    COMPANY 

18  EAST  SEVENTEENTH  STREET,  NEW  YORK 


Copyright  1908 
By  E.  A.  FLETCHER 

411  Hgfiti  of  translation  or  nproduction  rj 


The  Lsw  of  the  Rhythmic  Breatb 


RAMA  PRASAD,  M.  A.,  F.T.S. 

WHO  LIGHTED  THE  TORCH  THAT  ILLUMINED  MY   PATH, 
THIS  BOOK  IS  MOST  GRATEFULLY 

DEDICATED 
******* 

MAY  IT  IN  TURN  SHED  LIGHT  FOR  OTHER  SEEKERS 


u  When  all  the  motions  of  the  body  have  become  per- 
fectly rhythmical  the  body  has,  as  it  were,  become  a 
gigantic  battery  of  Will." 

The  body :  u  A  means  to  an  end ;  an  instrument 
intended  for  the  culture  of  the  Soul." 

Rajah  Yoga. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

CHAP.  PAGE. 

I.  "Breath   is   Life" 9 

II.  The  Master-Key  of  Creation 20 

III.  How  to  Gain  the  Master-Key 35 

IV.  How   to   Use   the   Master-Key 46 

V.  The  Evolution  of  the   Tattvas 57 

VI.    The  Universality  of  the  Tattvas 67 

VII.    More  About  the  All-Pervading  Tattva:  Akasha    75 
VIII.    The  Specific  Influence  of  the  Tattvas     ...     83 

IX.     Tattvic  Influences :  Tejas,  the  Fire  of  Life  .     .     92 

.A 
X.    Happiness  Vibrations :  Apas  and  Prithivi    .     .  104 

XI.  The  Atmospheric  Currents  of  Prana     .     .     .116 

XII.  The  Circulation  of  Prana  in  our  Bodies     .     .   125 

XIII.  The  Manifestations  of  Prana 137 

XIV.  Planetary  Influences  upon  the  Tattvas   .     .     .148 
XV.  The    Activities    of    the     Macrocosm    in    the 

Microcosm 161 

XVI.    More    About    Macrocosmic    Activities    in   the 

Microcosm 173 

XVII.    Mercury  and  the  Activities  of  the  Sushumna  .  185 

XVIII.    Vital  Centers  for  Concentration 196 

XIX.    The    Connection    of    the    Zodiac    with    Vital 

Centers  .  208 


Table  of  Contents 

CHAPTER.  PAGE. 

XX.  The  Crown  of  Concentration 218 

XXI.  The  Sequence  of  Numbers 331 

XXII.  The  Seven-Fold  Constitution  of  Humanity  .     .  248 

XXIII.  Color    in    the    Visible    and    Invisible.   World. 

Part  1 258 

XXIV.  Color    in    the    Visible    and    Invisible    World. 

Part  II. 270 

XXV.    Color    in    the    Visible    and    Invisible    World. 

Conclusion 278 

XXVI.    The     Normal     Colors     of     Man's     Principles. 

Part  1 288 

XXVII.    The    Normal    Colors    of    Man's    Principles. 

Conclusion 299 

XXVIII.    The  Auric  Envelope :  Its  Constitution  .     .     .  309 
XXIX.    The  Auric  Envelope:  How  Affected     .     .     .318 

XXX.    The  Auric  Envelope:  Its  Colors 330 

XXXI.    How  to  Acquire  Rhythmic  Breathing    .     .     .  341 
XXXII.    The  Practical  Application  of  These  Laws  .     .  350 

Glossary 363 

Bibliography 370 


CHAPTER  I 

"  BREATH  IS  LIFE." 

IS  it  wontedness  and  use,  or  perhaps,  that  un- 
speakably  deadening    factor   thoughtlessness, 
that    has    robbed    the    pregnant    aphorism 
"  BREATH  IS  LIFE  "  of  every  atom  of  its  pro- 
found significance? 

None  has  ever  gainsaid  it,  yet  to  the  mass  of 
mankind  it  means  no  more  than  if  one  were  to 
write  omicron  muf  And  to  that  suicidal  mania, 
fear  of  fresh  air  and  draughts,  and  its  accom- 
panying folly,  flagrant  neglect  of  the  primal 
function  of  breathing,  the  world  pays  an  annual 
tribute  of  at  the  lowest  estimate  a  quarter  million 
lives;  all  sacrificed  to  -preventable  disease!  Even 
without  a  regret  for  those  sent  thus  prematurely 
through  the  "  Gates  Ajar,"  think  of  the  crushing 
weight  of  sorrow  this  entails  upon  the  world! 
Though  not  our  loss,  the  sorrow  affects  all  within 
its  environment. 


lo        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

But  not  alone  the  mass  of  humanity  have  been 
thus  apathetic.  Until  the  beneficial  cult  of  deep 
breathing,  a  growth  in  rational  doing  and 
thinking  of  the  present  generation  only,  the 
man  of  science  whose  life  work  is  to  relieve  human 
suffering  equally  ignored  this  flaring  torch 
"BREATH  IS  LIFE,"  pointing  unerringly  to 
fundamental  truths  of  being,  but  which  through- 
out the  centuries  of  Western  civilization  might 
as  well  have  been  a  dark  lantern.  It  is  my  grate- 
ful task  —  nay,  happy  opportunity  —  to  prove  to 
you  that  it  is  a  torch  of  such  wonderful  il- 
luminating power  that  man's  electric  searchlights 
should  pale  before  it.  It  was  a  gain,  a  stalwart 
stride  in  the  right  direction,  to  call  attention  to  the 
error  of  commonly  fixed  habits;  but  all  that  has 
yet  been  accomplished  is  little  more  than  one  drop 
of  purity  in  a  swamp  of  miasma.  Busy  people 
think  they  have  too  much  to  do  to  give  attention 
to  a  function  they  have  always  supposed  auto- 
matic, never  dreaming  of  the  subtle  sources  of  dis- 
order affecting  its  normal  activity,  and  as  subtly 
feeding  and  sowing  disease.  Also,  to  make  a 
bad  matter  worse,  in  all  the  so-called  "  systems  " 
of  breathing  taught,  good,  bad,  and  indifferent, 
the  fundamental  principle  of  rhythmic  harmony 
has  attracted  little  attention,  and  is  rarely  under- 
stood. 

Most  persons  who  are  interested  in  any  system 


Breath  is  Life  11 

of  breathing  have  become  familiar  with  the  terrr 
Yoga  breathing,  yet  it  is  so  completely  misunder- 
stood that  it  oftener  excites  a  smile  than  serious 
attention;  but  this  is  another  instance  where  the 
precious  pearl  truth  is  in  sight,  and  unseeing  eyes 
confound  it  with  a  worthless  pebble. 

All  the  ridicule,  misunderstanding,  and  depre- 
ciation of  this  cult  are  in  reality  due  to  the  fact 
that  few  expositors  of  Yoga  breathing  have  ex- 
plained either  in  their  writings  or  verbally  to  pupils 
the  rationale  upon  which  it  is  based.  Reticence 
on  this  vital  point  is  due  to  one  of  two  reasons: 
either  ignorance,  or  the  belief  that  the  age  was  not 
yet  prepared  to  be  entrusted  with  a  Truth  of  Life 
which  was  till  recently  guarded  in  India  as  a  most 
sacred  mystery.  But  in  our  day  and  generation, 
Occidental  peoples  accept  nothing  blindly;  all  must 
know  the  "Why?"  and  "Wherefore?"  We 
find  the  answer  in  the  profoundly  scientific  teachings 
of  Hindu  physiology,  founded  upon  the  inspira- 
tional truths  preserved  to  us  in  the  Tantrik  phi- 
losophy, and  in  those  sacred  Sanskrit  writings,  the 
Upanishads. 

Only  the  arrogant  egoism  of  Western  civiliza- 
tion has  made  it  possible  that  enlightened  minds 
could  read  the  Upanishads  as  they  have  done  for 
years  and  overlook  the  significant  facts  they  con- 
tain with  reference  to  the  union  of  breath  with  life. 
These  facts  are  the  foundation  for  the  deepest, 


12        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

most  philosophical,  and  only  scientific  cult  of  phys- 
ical health  and  spiritual  life;  but,  clothed  in  the 
most  poetic  imagery,  they  have  been  studied,  trans- 
lated, and  read  for  that  alone,  as  curiosities  of 
literature. 

It  is  a  deplorable  fact  that  these  so-learned 
minds  rejected,  without  the  experiments  which 
they  are  assured  would  verify  the  statements,  but 
with  cheerful  indulgence  for  the  "  childish  vagar- 
ies "  and  the  credulity  of  those  sacred  writers  who 
believed  them,  all  these  profound  truths  weighted 
with  the  most  beneficial  results  to  humankind,  and 
which,  in  consequence,  have  remained  Occult  mys- 
teries closely  guarded  by  the  few  who  understood 
them. 

The  forms  of  Yoga  breathing  which  excite  the 
greatest  incredulity,  because  differing  radically 
from  accepted  theories  of  the  function,  are  best  de- 
scribed as  alternate  breathing;  that  is,  through 
each  nostril  in  turn,  the  exhalations  preceding  the 
inhalations  from  the  same  nostril. 

This  method  is  profoundly  scientific,  being 
based  upon  a  phenomenon  of  normal  breathing  al- 
most unknown  to  Western  scientists  (eight  years 
ago,  I  heard  of  two  Buffalo  physicians  who  had 
discovered  it) .  It  is  that  every  human  being  in- 
hales and  exhales  for  a  certain  period  —  nearly 
an  hour  —  through  the  right  nostril  and  then  all 
unconsciously  changes  to  the  left  for  a  like  period. 


Breath  is  Life  13 

Hindu  physiology  begins  its  surprises  by  teach- 
ing us  that  with  every  inhalation  through  the  right 
nostril  a  positive  electrical  current  flows  down  the 
right  side  of  the  spine,  and  with  every  inhalation 
through  the  left  nostril  a  negative  current  flows 
down  the  left  side.  The  lungs  are  correspond- 
ingly charged  with  positive,  or  solar,  and  negative, 
or  lunar,  currents.  It  is  by  means  of  the  two  cur- 
rents that  all  the  processes  of  life  are  performed, 
and  it  is  an  imperative  condition  of  health  that 
they  be  equally  balanced.  Upon  their  rhythmic 
and  harmonic  flow,  fed  by  the  breath  of  life,  de- 
pends the  measure  of  health  and  vitality  in  the 
human  system. 

It  is  of  interest  here  to  state  that  early  in  1905, 
the  newspapers  chronicled  the  successful  experi- 
ments of  Dr.  Atkins,  of  the  California  Medical 
College,  who  had  discovered,  and  succeeded  in 
registering  by  mechanical  means,  "  a  positive  and 
a  negative  electrical  current  in  the  air  chambers 
of  the  lungs  of  a  living  person."  Thus  it  will 
be  seen  that  Western  science  is  painfully  discover- 
ing the  truths  which  the  Orient  has  had  in  its  keep- 
(ing  since  the  earliest  ages  of  man. 

In  two  instances  I  have  had  substantial  proof 
that  something  of  this  knowledge  was  also  in  the 
keeping  of  our  North  American  Indian  "  Medi- 
cine Man." 

But  the  analysis  of  breath  does  not  rest  here. 


14        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

Of  as  vital  importance  are  these  facts:  The  uni- 
versal current  of  life,  Prdna,  or  vital  force,  which 
pervades  all  space  and  is  commonly  recognized  in 
the  body  as  breath  (the  distinction  will  be  ex- 
plained later)  is  compounded  of  atoms,  or  elec- 
trons, which  are  differentiated  by  their  character- 
istic motions  into  five  forms  of  vibrations.  West- 
ern science  has  recognized  only  two  of  these  subtle 
ethers,  and  has  not  yet  discovered  their  pro- 
found influence  upon  all  living  things. 

We  are  compelled  to  use  the  Sanskrit  terms  for 
these  etheric  forces,  which  are  called  generically 
Tattvas,  meaning  literally  a  form  of  motion 
(Mme.  Blavatsky  says  the  Tattvas  "are  both 
Substance  and  Force,  or  Atomic  matter  and  the 
Spirit  that  ensouls  it  ") .  The  Tattvas  —  referred 
to  in  the  Upanishads  as  "  the  five  vital  airs  "  —  are 
specifically  distinguished  as  ( i )  Akdsha,  the  sound 
vibration;  (2)  Fdyu,  the  tangiferous  vibration; 
(3)  Tejas,  the  luminiferous  ether;  (4)  A  pas,  the 
vibration  of  taste  or  gustiferous  ether;  and  (5) 
Prithivi,  the  odoriferous  ether. 

These  five  Tattvas,  every  one  of  which  has  its 
positive  and  negative  phases,  mingle  in  varying 
proportions  in  both  the  solar  and  lunar  currents. 
In  normal  health,  their  flow  and  proportion  varies 
from  time  to  time  with  absolute  rhythmic  pre- 
cision, every  Tattva  having  its  period  of  predom- 
inance for  a  longer  or  shorter  period.  If  human 


Breath  is  Life  15. 

beings  were  automatons,  the  regularity  of  these 
vibrations  would  be  as  unchanging  as  the  move- 
ments of  the  planets  in  their  orbits.  But  free  will 
and  emotions,  every  thought  and  act  of  man,  have 
their  effect  for  good  or  ill,  and  ages  ago  the  Hin- 
dus discovered  that  the  inception  of  every  disease 
is  in  any  influence  which  disturbs  nature's  intricate 
but  symmetrical  balance  of  these  etheric  life-forces; 
which,  corresponding  to  the  elements  composing 
the  body,  are  renewed  with  every  breath  and,  be- 
ing elemental  subdivisions  of  Prdna,  furnish  and 
modify  the  activities  of  the  whole  human  entity. 
This  explains  the  philosophy  of  alternate  breath- 
ing, the  many  forms  of  which  are  devised  to  re- 
store the  balance  of  the  Tattvas.  It  also  exposes 
the  error  of  the  statement  that,  "  A  strictly  well 
person  uses  the  right  nostril  by  day,  the  left  by 
night."  So  far,  indeed,  from  the  truth  is  this, 
that  it  would  be  a  dangerous  practice,  and  its  ex- 
act reverse  in  a  modified  form  —  a  shorter  period 
—  is  the  recommendation  of  adepts  in  Tattvic 
philosophy.  They  commend  the  use  of  the  nega- 
tive breath  —  lunar  current  —  at  sunrise,  and  the 
positive  breath  —  solar  current  —  at  sunset ;  the 
reason  being  that  the  one  is  cooling,  the  other  heat- 
ing. They  thus  impose  a  certain  check  upon  the 
prevalent  terrestrial  influences,  while  putting  us 
en  rapport  with  them,  since  two  positives  repel 
each  other,  as  do,  of  course  two  negative  currents. 


1 6        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

In  the  intense  activities  of  our  modern  Western 
life,  the  positive  breath  is  employed  in  excess,  us- 
ing up  all  physical  and  mental  force  under  the  lash 
of  will-power.  The  resulting  exhaustion  — 
sometimes  amounting  to  painful  prostration  —  is 
because  the  impact  of  the  positive  current  has  over- 
charged nerve  centers ;  the  human  wires  over  which 
these  currents  flow  slacken  in  this  condition  and 
refuse  to  respond  to  the  vibrations  playing  upon 
them,  so  the  negative  current  does  not  set  in. 
There  is  discord  and  struggle  in  all  the  atoms  to 
accomplish  this,  hence  suffering.  The  quickest  re- 
lief for  this  condition  is  to  close  the  right  nostril 
and  take  a  few  negative  breaths,  with  deep,  full 
inhalations  and  slow,  restrained  exhalations  from 
the  same  nostril.  Only  a  few  moments  voluntary 
attention  need  be  given.  Once  started  the  life- 
current  will  do  its  recuperative  work. 

Beneficial  effects  are  gained  by  employing  the 
positive  breath  when  going  to  sleep,  which  is  done 
by  lying  on  the  left  side.  It  counteracts  a  ten- 
dency to  an  excess  of  the  negative  principle  in  the 
heart  at  evening  (at  which  time  the  negative  —  or 
lunar,  current  is  the  stronger),  and  also  protects 
the  sleeper  from  the  frivolous  and  wasting  activi- 
ties caused  by  the  invasion  of  idle  thoughts  (called 
dreams)  upon  the  field  of  subconsciousness  when 
the  guarding  mind  is  off  duty.  At  dawn,  it  is 
well  to  turn  upon  the  right  side,  but  other  move- 


Breath  is  Life  17 

ments  in  the  night  can  be  made  according  to  com- 
fort and  convenience.  Nature  may  be  trusted  to 
take  care  of  breathing  if  we  start  it  rhythmically. 

The  overwhelming  importance  of  maintaining 
the  equal  balance  of  these  two  currents  will  be  ap- 
preciated when  it  is  known  that  the  excessive  pre- 
ponderance of  either  causes  death;  each  displaying 
characteristic  symptoms,  and  causing  negative  or 
cardiac  death  and  positive  or  spinal  death.  The 
former  is  commonly  diagnosed  as  heart  failure, 
and  there  is  little  doubt  that  in  many  cases  the  pa- 
tient could  be  carried  safely  through  the  critical 
moment  if  the  attendants  stopped  the  left  nostril 
and  made  the  positive  current  of  Prdna  flow. 
There  are  cases  where  exactly  the  opposite  treat- 
ment might  be  necessary.  But  if  the  nurse  could 
not  determine  which  breath  was  flowing,  a  few 
alternate  breaths  would  assist  nature  to  restore  the 
balance. 

In  cerebro-spinal  meningitis,  not  serum  but  such 
care  as  shall  insure  the  rhythmic  flow  of  the  alter- 
nating currents  down  the  spine  is  the  treatment  the 
symptoms  call  for,  which  agrees  with  but  goes  be- 
yond the  learned  decision  that  fresh  air  was  the 
only  hope  in  this  disease. 

How  to  direct  and  control  these  life  currents  in 
manifold  ways,  promoting  health,  happiness,  and 
efficiency  is  the  purpose  of  this  book.  Those  who 
wish  to  acquire  the  power  should  commit  to  mem- 


1 8        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

ory  the  names  of  the  Tattvas;  and  as  a  prelimin- 
ary exercise  can  practice  alternate  breathing  on  a 
count  of  four  and  eight  pulse-beats  or  seconds,  for 
inhalations  and  exhalations,  respectively  (that  is, 
four  to  inhale,  eight  to  exhale),  or  six  and  twelve, 
according  to  the  lung  capacity,  which  should  not 
be  forced,  merely  encouraged.  Placing  the  first 
.and  second  fingers  of  the  left  hand  so  that  they  can 
alternately  close  the  left  and  right  nostrils,  begin 
the  exercise  by  a  thorough,  deep  exhalation. 
Then  close  the  right  nostril  and  inhale  through 
the  left;  hold  the  breath  for  a  perceptible  moment, 
then  with  gentle  restraint  exhale  it  through  the 
right  nostril;  next  inhale  through  the  right  nostril 
and  exhale  through  the  left.  Repeat  four  times 
(four  negative  breaths  and  four  positive  ones; 
eight  in  all)  and  practice  —  it  takes  but  a  fraction 
of  time  —  on  rising  in  the  morning,  at  noon,  and 
in  the  evening. 

The  exercises  can  be  taken  standing,  sitting  or  ly- 
ing down.  If  the  former,  the  spine  should  be  held 
free  and  erect;  and  under  no  circumstances  be 
twisted  or  bent  from  the  shoulders;  for  it  is  the 
nervous  system  which  should  receive  the  first  and 
most  immediate  benefit  from  the  practice.  Taken 
in  bed,  after  retiring,  the  exercises  are  very  calm- 
ing and  sleep-inducing. 

It  is  by  means  of  these  universal  vibrations  that 
in  actual  fact  —  a  literal  truth  —  "  The  heart 


Breath  is  Life  19 

throbs  of  the  Eternal  Spirit  pulsate  through  "  us. 
It  is  in  this  way  that  we  actually  live  and  move 
and  have  our  being  in  the  God  of  Gods,  the  very 
Light  of  Light.  This  Tattvic  Law  of  the  Uni- 
verse solves  the  mysteries  of  the  Omniscience, 
Omnipresence,  and  Omnipotence  of  God,  for  there 
is  nothing  where  He  is  not. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  MASTER-KEY  OF  CREATION 

HARMONY   is  the   least  known  but  the 
most  indispensable  factor  of  health  and 
mental  serenity;  while  discord  is  the  be- 
ginning of  all  disease,  discomfort,  and  all  the  fam- 
ily of  ^organizing  elements;  the  names  of  which, 
you  may  have  noticed,  all  begin  with  the  signifi- 
cant prefix  dis. 

Harmony,  therefore,  is  the  law  of  order, —  the 
normal,  natural  condition  of  every  atom  and  its 
component  spirillae  (for  which  particles  science  is 
reviving  the  name  "  corpuscles ")  within  the 
crowning  work  of  creation,  the  body-beautiful  of 
the  human  creature,  as  well  as  in  the  visible  and 
invisible  world  about  us;  and  discord  is  the  law  of 
disorder.  To  live  in  tune  with  the  Universe,  we 
must  live  in  harmony  with  its  laws;  and  "THE 
LAW  OF  THE  RHYTHMIC  BREATH" 
gives  us  the  master-key  to  these  laws.  Studied, 
understood,  and  applied,  no  other  road  leads  so 
swiftly  to  spiritual  consciousness;  and  at  the  same 
time  the  Law  reconciles  science  and  religion  as 

20 


;     The  Master-Key  of  Creation  2* 

never  before.  For  generations  men  read  Bud- 
dha's declaration  that  ignorance  was  "  the  root  of 
the  huge  poison-tree  of  mundane  existence  with  its 
trunk  of  pain;  "  but,  ignoring  his  "  Wheel  of  the 
Law"  in  the  body,  they  have  sought  for  knowl- 
edge far-afield,  everywhere  but  within  —  in  self-j 
study  and  self-examination.  And  alas!  so  far 
have  men  depreciated  the  higher  self  in  man  which 
differentiates  him  from  the  lower  animals,  that 
they  have  thought  to  arrive  at  accurate  knowledge 
of  his  physical  characteristics  by  submitting  help- 
less brutes  to  the  tortures  of  vivisection. 

When  the  scientist  understands  the  Tattvic  Law 
of  the  Universe,  which  opens  to  him  the  miracle- 
world  of  Nature's  forces,  he  will  realize  what  aw- 
ful powers  of  discord  he  thus  sets  in  motion, 
powers  which,  by  an  immutable  law,  must  return, 
like  a  boomerang,  upon  himself!  Then,  indeed, 
will  the  helpless  dumb  creatures  be  freed  from 
man's  reign  of  terrorism. 

When  we  speak  of  harmony  as  inseparable  from 
health  and  all  joy  in  living  and  doing,  we  are  not 
dealing  with  an  abstract  quality  but  with  a  con- 
crete principle  of  motion  underlying  the  ceaseless 
activities,  visible  and  invisible,  of  our  Universe  — 
a  macrocosm  in  which  there  is  no  "  dead  matter," 
but  life,  life  everywhere.  To  the  minutest  parti- 
cle, all  is  vibrating  with  ceaseless  energy  in  that 
mysterious,  invisible  realm  which  men  are  begin- 


22        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

ning  to  penetrate  by  means  of  cunning  instruments 
devised  with  infinite  patience  and  skill  to  supple- 
ment the  perceptions  of  the  physical  senses. 
Science  is  creeping  close  to  the  long-hidden  truths. 

One  of  the  recent  discoveries  is  that  "  This  mo- 
tion is  continually  changing  from  one  velocity  to 
another."  This  is  the  source  of  that  beautiful 
diversity  in  unity  which  keeps  us  wondering  at  the 
infinite  variety  of  Nature's  marvelous  works,  and 
it  is  caused  by  the  characteristic  vibrations  of  the 
Tattvas,  which  are  differentiated  by  form  and 
color,  and  whose  energies  can  thus  be  analyzed  and 
recognized  on  all  the  planes  of  their  activities 
throughout  the  Universe.  It  is  by  this  means 
that  Hindu  physiology  has  traced  their  power,  of- 
fice, and  effect  in  the  human  economy. 

We  are  all  familiar  with  the  fact  —  indeed, 
every  school  boy  knows  it  —  that  our  bodies  are 
said  to  be  composed  of  the  four  elements:  viz., 
air,  fire,  water,  and  earth;  yet  how  many  ever 
think  of  it  as  anything  but  a  figurative  expres- 
sion? Now,  I  am  going  to  show  you  that  it  is 
a  statement  de  facto;  but  how  much  it  shall  signify 
to  you,  dear  reader,  depends  upon  yourself.  You 
must  think,  or  it  will  be  barren  of  results.  This 
caution  is  based  upon  experience;  for  many  per- 
sons have  learned  this  elemental  distinction  con- 
cerning the  nature  of  the  Tattvas,  and,  not  apply- 
ing the  knowledge,  have  gone  no  further,  failing 


iThe  Master-Key  of  Creation  23 

as  utterly  to  grasp  its  deep  significance  as  in  the 
old  familiar  statement. 

Bearing  in  mind  the  previous  explanation  of  the 
positive  and  negative  breath-currents,  flowing  in 
regular  alternation  through  the  right  and  left  nos- 
trils respectively,  and  their  differentiation  into  the 
five  Tattvas,  we  proceed  now  to  an  examination  of 
the  character  and  properties  of  the  separate  Tatt- 
tuas)  and  the  effect  of  their  action  upon  the  physi- 
cal, or  gross,  body. 

Akdsha  is  the  most  refined  or  tenuous  of  the 
elements,  and  on  the  gross  plane  of  the  physical 
body  is  correctly  classified  as  ether.  Don't  let  it 
confuse  you  when  all  the  Tattvas  are  referred  to 
as  ethers,  for  on  their  subtle  planes  of  activity 
they  are  so  tenuous  that  wanting  a  strictly  scientific 
nomenclature,  we  must  call  the  others  also  ethers. 
They  never,  however,  lose  their  distinctive  quali- 
ties; always,  even  in  the  closest  union  one  with  an- 
other, they  retain  these  characteristics  of  form, 
color,  and  action  which  betray  the  presence  of  the 
vibration,  although  every  element  restricts,  and  is 
modified  by,  the  vibrations  of  the  elements  with 
which  it  is  combined.  Hence,  there  are  manifold 
permutations  in  form  and  color,  producing  vari- 

Ctyr* 

Akdsha  is  circular  or  oblong  in  form,  and  gives 

this  shape  to  the  orifice  of  the  ear,  the  organ  of 
hearing,  whose  perceptions  its  property  of  sound 


24        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

stimulates.  It  is  represented  as  a  circle  with  a 
single  dot  in  the  center  and  also  as  a  dotted  cir- 
cle; for  matter  subjected  to  its  influence  gy- 
rates with  extreme  velocity  in  tiny  points  that  chase 
one  another  within  the  circle.  The  positive  phase 
of  Akdsha  is  colorless,  sometimes  described  as 
white,  but  it  is  a  white  pulsating  with  light;  and 
its  negatives  phase  is  indigo,  so  dark  that  to  some 
eyes  it  appears  black.  In  this  condition  it  holds 
potentially  all  the  other  Tattvas  or  elements;  and 
it  is  the  medium  —  space  —  in  every  state  of  mat- 
ter which  propagates  sound. 

The  study  of  Akdsha  discloses  the  secret  of  the 
mysterious  and  varied  effects  of  sound  upon  all 
living  creatures;  for  every  vibration  as  it  passes 
through  the  "  subtle  sound-granules  of  space " 
(space  and  sound  being  considered  interchange- 
able terms,  so  closely  associated  are  they)  creates 
its  own  sound  or  tone,  and  registers  its  effect  upon 
human  nerves  even  when  beyond  the  range  of 
sense-perception. 

Thus  sound,  with  its  inseparable  associate 
rhythm,  is  ever  building  or  disintegrating;  and  is 
a  powerful  force  that  man  has  urgent  need  to  un- 
derstand and  learn  to  control,  and  use  with  intelli- 
gence. Harmonious  sounds  are  upbuilding  and 
life-giving,  therefore  constructive;  while  all  sounds 
which  we  class  as  noise  are  disintegrating  in  pro- 
portion to  the  dissonance  and  broken  rhythm  of 


The  Master-Key  of  Creation  25 

their  crashing  and  grinding.  The  suffering  such 
warring  turmoil  inflicts  upon  sensitive  people  is 
very  real;  and  only  more  subtle  because  less  per- 
ceptible —  like  the  drops  of  water  that  wear  away 
a  stone  —  is  the  effect  upon  those  less  conscious 
of  the  disturbance. 

The  vibrations  of  Fdyu,  or  tangiferous  ether 

—  the  air  —  are  spherical  in  form,  and  its  motion 
is  the  duplicating  of  spheres,  or  groups  of  spheres. 
The  particular  property  of  Fdyu  is  locomotion, 
and  it  stimulates,  or  gives  birth  to,  the  sense  of 
touch;  therefore  we  find  its  physical  influence  pre- 
dominates in  the  skin  which  it  forms  and  nour- 
ishes.    Motion  in  any  part  of  the  body  is  due  to 
the  Vdyu  centers  of  that  part.     It  is   naturally 
prevalent  in  the  lungs   (or  ought  to  be!)   and  is 
regnant  in  the  hands. 

The  color  of  Fdyu  is  usually  described  as  blue, 
but  also  sometimes  as  green.  I  believe  the  recon- 
ciliation of  the  disagreement  to  be  that  blue  is  the 
negative  phase,  and  green  the  positive.  In  per- 
mutation with  other  Tattvas  where  Fdyu  pre- 
dominates we  have  green-blue,  and  blue-green, 
and  yellow-blue.  When  green  is  reflected  upward 

—  that  is,  the  activity  is  upward  instead  of  down- 
ward —  it  becomes  a  mirror  for  the  higher  force, 
absorbs  the  higher  vibrations  and  is  then  no  longer 
green  but  its  negative  blue.     All  its  effects  in  com- 
bination with  other  Tattvas  corroborate  this  con- 


26       The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

x 

elusion.  As  we  progress  to  the  evolution  of  the 
Tattvas  this  will  be  clearer. 

Tejas  is  the  luminiferous  ether  and  the  fire  ele- 
ment in  the  physical  body,  the  agent  which  keeps 
up  internal  heat  and  maintains  the  body's  normal 
temperature.  It  stimulates  the  sense  of  sight,  is 
therefore  regnant  in  the  optic  nerves,  and  must  be 
recognized  in  the  form  of  light  as  well  as  heat. 
Tejas  has  the  property  of  expansion,  and  causes 
the  swelling  in  inflammatory  disorders;  and,  of 
course,  it  is  prevalent  to  great  excess  in  fevers. 
Its  form  is  that  of  a  triangle,  its  vibrations  mov- 
ing at  right  angles;  hence  causing  friction  which 
generates  heat ;  and  its  color  is  red. 

Apas,  the  gustiferous  ether,  is  the  water  ele- 
ment, and  in  its  purest,  most  subtle  state  is  white 
or  violet  in  color.  It  stimulates  the  sense  of  taste 
and  possesses  the  property  of  contraction.  It  pre- 
dominates in  the  tongue,  both  in  its  office  as  a 
sensuous  and  as  an  active  organ,  and  its  semi-lunar 
(or  wave-like)  vibrations  are  the  chief  motive- 
power  in  the  production  of  voice. 

The  combination  of  Apas  with  other  Tattvas 
in  manifold  permutations  produces  the  exquisite 
variety  in  vocal  tones,  gives  to  them  their  color, 
for  every  tone  has  a  distinctive  color,  and  creates 
that  subtle  element  which  sways  the  emotions.  It 
is  the  color  of  the  tone,  which  is  a  manifestation 
of  its  form,  that  affects  the  nerves,  sympathetically 
or  antagonistically;  and  a  wide  field  for  the  scien- 


The  Master-Key  of  Creation 


27 


tifically  accurate  application  of  the  therapeutic 
value  of  music  is  open  to  the  earnest  student  of 
the  Tattvas.  The  discipline  and  culture  of  voice- 
production  in  speech  itself  are  thus  recognized  as 
of  the  highest  importance. 

Wherever  water  runs  over  sand,  which  it  throws' 
into  waving  forms,  it  furnishes  a  constant  object- 
lesson  on  the  semi-lunar  form  of  Apas  vibrations. 
The  very  name  wave  is  a  symbol  of  the  curving 
motion  of  water. 

Last,  but  not  least  in  this  terrestrial  life,  comes 
Prithivi,  or  odoriferous  ether,  the  earth.  It  is 
the  vibration  which  excites  the  sense  of  smell,  and 
its  characteristic  properties  are  resistance  and  co- 
hesion. Prithivi  is  quadrangular  in  form  and,  as 
do  all  the  Tattvas,  impresses  its  form  upon  the 
nerve  ganglia  in  which  it  is  predominant.  Its 
color  is  yellow,  and  it  is  the  disorder  of  the  earth 
vibration  which  causes  liver  troubles,  as  the  yellow 
tinge  of  the  skin  betrays. 

For  convenience  in  study  and  reference  this  cap- 
itulation of  the  Tattvas  is  given. 


Element. 

Color. 

Property. 

Form. 

Sense- 
perception. 

A 

i.  Ak&sha. 

Ether. 

(  White. 

Space 

Dotted  Circle. 

Hearing. 

7  Indigo. 

2.   V&yu. 

Air. 

(  Blue. 

Locomotion. 

Spherical. 

Touch. 

/  Green. 

3-  Tejas. 

Fire. 

Red. 

Expansion. 

Triangle. 

Sight. 

4.  Apas. 

Water. 

(  White. 

Contraction. 

Semi-lunar. 

Taste. 

\  Violet. 

5.  Prithivi. 

Earth. 

Yellow. 

Cohesion. 

Quadrangular. 

Smell. 

28        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

The  Tattvas  manifest  their  power  in  two  ways, 
gross  and  subtle;  our  bodies  are  the  gross  manifes- 
tations of  their  activity,  and  through  these,  ani- 
mating them  and  giving  them  all  life,  motion,  and 
force,  play  unceasingly  the  subtle  Tattvas,  which 
govern  the  body  physiologically,  mentally,  psychic- 
ally, and  spiritually,  in  an  ever  refining  grada- 
tion of  force,  and  substance  clothing  that  force. 
Every  nerve  center,  or  plexus,  is  governed  by  a 
particular  Tattva;  that  is,  is  the  seat  of  its  special 
manifestation;  thus,  though  all  the  Tattvas  are 
present,  there  is  a  ruling  one  which  is  always  in 
health  predominant. 

Now,  I  neither  ask  nor  wish  that  anyone  should 
believe  any  of  these  statements  blindly.  Don't 
accept  them  because  I  say  they  are  so.  I  do  ask 
that  all  who  wish  for  freedom  of  mind  and  body, 
for  health  based  upon  the  serenity  and  confidence 
that  come  from  knowing  the  exact  nature  and  ac- 
tion of  the  agents  you  are  employing  to  obtain  that 
blessing  —  I  ask  you  to  make  the  whole  subject 
the  matter  of  serious  study  and  thought. 

Reason  it  out  for  yourselves.  Look  first 
within,  in  the  calm  meditation  that  quiets  the  troops 
of  idle  thoughts  which  make  havoc  of  our  ener- 
gies and  are  a  never  ceasing  source  of  discord; 
and  when  you  discover  that  the  very  name  Tejas 
is  potent  to  raise  your  temperature  if  you  send  it 
with  commanding  thought  to  its  centers  of 


The  Master-Key  of  Creation  29 

action  (see  Chapter  IX),  you  will  begin  to  realize 
the  truth.  With  the  first  glimmer  of  this  confi- 
dence you  will  find  your  attention  wonderfully 
sharpened  to  the  relations  of  external  objects,  and 
no  moment  of  thought  on  ^he  subject  will  be  fruit- 
less. 

In  India,  nothing  is  ever  told  to  the  student  of 
Occult  mysteries  which  can  be  learned  through 
study  and  thought,  for  speculating  upon  these  hid- 
den relations  of  the  natural  forces  furnishes  the 
wings  upon  which  intuition  takes  its  flight  straight 
to  the  cause.  In  this  Western  world,  however, 
where  the  art  of  thinking  is  less  understood,  the 
student  needs  some  guidance,  but  the  quicker  he 
can  stand  on  his  own  feet  the  better.  In  the  phy- 
sical world  about  us,  you  must  be  prepared  to  rec- 
ognize the  dominant  Tattva  or  the  combination  of 
elements  in  natural  objects  by  the  colors.  Thus, 
all  the  vegetable  kingdom  germinates  in  Mother 
Earth  —  Prithivl,  which  is  yellow,  and  draws 
nourishment  in  proportion  as  it  sends  its  roots  deep 
into  her  bosom;  while  it  breaks  into  leaf  and  blos- 
som and  fruit  in  the  ambient,  elastic  air  —  Fayu, 
blue;  and  from  the  yellow  and  blue  of  its  earth  and 
air-progenitors  is  evolved  the  grateful,  refreshing 
green. 

The  Tattvas  are  the  artists  who  grave  the  won- 
derful geometrical  lines  which  can  be  studied  in 
sea-shells.  Cross-sections  of  the  shells  of  nummu- 


30       The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

lites  (see  Standard  Dictionary)  show  Prithivi  vi- 
brations. The  skin  of  a  rattle-snake  is  a  most  in- 
teresting study  in  the  proof  of  the  Tattvic  Law. 
This  creature  that  hugs  the  earth  and  lives  in  it, 
is  striped  down  its  back  with  cubes  placed  point  to 
point,  the  outer  scales  of  which  are  yellow.  Tejas 
is  the  next  most  prominent  influence,  giving  sharp 
points  to  the  scales,  and  its  color  is  seen  in  the  red- 
dish brown  of  the  darkest  scales.  Every  scale 
has  a  mid-rib  dividing  the  positive  from  the  nega- 
tive. In  snow  crystals  every  Tattvic  vibration 
can  be  traced;  and,  when  examined  separately, 
within  their  dazzling  whiteness  it  is  found  that 
all  the  colors  of  the  spectrum  are  held  latently. 

Significant  corroboration  of  Tantrik  teaching 
with  regard  to  the  structural  effects  everywhere 
in  the  body  of  the  varied  Tattvic  activities,  is 
found  in  Bain's  description  of  the  nerves.  The 
blue-white  matter  is  in  nerve  threads  composed  of 
bundles  of  microscopical  fibres,  of  which  it  is  es- 
timated as  many  as  15,000  to  100,000  are  united 
in  a  single  nerve.  The  grey-red  nerve  substance 
is  a  mixture  of  these  fibres  and  neurons  or  cells 
"  of  various  shapes, —  round,  oval,  pear-shaped, 
tailed,  and  star-like,  or  radiated "  (Mind  and 
Body). 

In  the  Cosmopolitan  for  September,  1905,  is 
an  interesting  article,  "  Artificial  Creation  of 
Life,"  by  Garrett  P.  Serviss,  the  illustrations  in 


The  Master-Key  of  Creation  31 

which  furnish  an  admirable  study  of  the  Tattvas. 
The  article  explains  the  experiments  of  Prof.  Jac- 
ques Loeb,  of  the  University  of  California,  which 
have  aroused  deep  interest  in  the  scientific  world. 

If  a  copy  of  the  magazine  be  accessible,  notice 
first  the  five  points  of  the  starfish,  which  corres- 
pond with  the  five  Tattvas,  as  do  the  fingers  and 
toes  of  our  bodies.  Turn  next  to  the  large  illus- 
tration of  Eggs  of  the  Sea-urchin;  then  observe 
a,  "  Beginning  of  segmentation,"  and  b,  "  Second 
step."  You  will  see  that  the  development  is  by 
pairs  or  couples.  These  are  the  positive  and  neg- 
ative atorns,  which  acting  upon  each  other  evolve 
every  succeeding  step. 

In  a,  Akdsha  prevails;  b,  Fdyu;  c,  intermediate, 
Akdsha  predominant,  with  Fdyu  and  beginning  of 
Tejas;  d,  all  the  preceding  with  the  addition  of  a 
strong  vibration  from  A-pas,  the  water  element, 
in  crescentlike  waves;  e,  Tejas  is  predominant,  in 
which  state  this  artificial  creature  is  said  to  "  starve 
to  death." 

Now  the  reasonable  conjecture  is  that  the  ab- 
rsence  of  Prithivi  vibrations  is  the  cause  of  the  ces- 
sation of  evolution;  and  I  have  had  the  satisfac- 
tion, since  making  the  above  notes,  of  finding  the 
following  corroboration  of  my  conjecture:  In 
one  of  the  Upanishads  the  division  of  the  "  five- 
fold "  elements  composing  the  physical  body  is 
given  according  to  their  use.  Water  and  earth 


32        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

are  said  to  be  the  food;  fire  and  air,  the  feeders, 
and  ether,  "  the  bowl  into  which  all  are  poured." 

It  would  simplify  and  facilitate  the  investiga- 
tions of  modern  scientists  beyond  average  compre- 
hension if  they  would  accept  as  the  ground  or  basis 
of  their  researches  and  experiments  the  Tattvic 
Law  of  the  Universe.  Thus,  radium  in  whatever 
aspect  of  its  activity  is  a  form  of  Tejas.  Every 
manifestation  of  heat  or  light  is  caused  by  Tejas 
vibrations.  Radium  is  the  highest  vibration  of  the 
solar  current  of  Tejas  yet  discovered  by  man;  and 
in  February,  1905,  Professor  Rutherford,  of  Mc- 
Gill  University,  announced  as  a  revolutionizing  the- 
ory the  fact  that  the  internal  heat  of  the  earth  is 
from  radium. 

To  the  "  knower  "  of  the  Tattvas  this  is  the  only 
possible  conjecture,  for  the  core  of  the  earth  is  its 
solar  plexus,  and  must  vibrate  with  the  most  sub- 
tle form  of  Tejas,  sun  rays  of  a  power  inconceiv- 
able before  the  discovery  of  radium. 

As  I  weave  these  notes  made  seven  months  ago 
into  this  chapter,  the  morning  papers  chronicle  from 
faraway  Johannesburg,  South  Africa,  Prof.  George 
Howard  Darwin's  speculations  upon  "  the  prob- 
ability of  radio-activity  in  the  sun,  which,  if 
proved,  will  subvert  all  the  scientific  theories  of  its 
constitution,  and  of  the  age  of  the  existing  solar 
system  based  thereon." 

The  life-current  is  more  subtle  than  radio-ac- 


The  Master-Key  of  Creation  33 

tivity,  and  it  depends  upon  ourselves  to  how  high 
power  we  shall  raise  it.  Never  forget  that 
"  Breath  is  the  beam  on  which  the  whole  house 
of  the  body  rests."  If  you  wish  to  acquire  the 
ability  to  apply  the  Law  and  use  the  "  master-key," 
be  diligent  in  the  practice  of  the  breathing  exer-! 
else  given  in  the  first  chapter.  Make  the  slight 
change  of  holding  the  breath  for  a  longer  interval 

—  not   to    exceed   the    inhalation  —  and    fix   the 
thought  upon   following  the  vital  current  down 
the  spine;  then,  while  holding  the  breath,  upon 
the  sacral  plexus,  and  follow  it  upward  during  ex- 
halation.    The  length  of  time  must  be  decided  by 
physical     sensations.      No     slightest     discomfort 
should  be  felt.     Restoration  of  the  balance  of  the 
Tattvas  gives  us  rose-colored  spectacles  and  all 
the  energy  needed  to  meet  life's  demands  even 
though  they  be  exacting. 

The  thought  ministrations  of  Christian  Science, 
Mental  Healing,  and  Faith  Cure,  which  are 
so  "  Winged  with  Power,"  employ  the  same  force 

—  the  only  one  —  and  are  all  manifestations  of 
the  Tattvic  law;  for  every  thought  excites  a  Tatt- 
vic  vibration,  just  as  does  the  movement  of  a  fin- 
ger, and  the  calm  fixity  and  intensity  of  the  thought 
are  the  measure  of  its  force. 

The  throb  of  the  great  heart  of  the  universe 
proceeds  from  the  unknowable  primary  cause,  Di- 
yine  Spirit,  back  of  all  life,  and  its  perpetual 


34        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

source.  Its  dynamo  holds  the  secret  of  perpetual 
motion,  fed  by  the  positive  and  negative  currents 
of  Divine  Breath,  the  thought  active  and  thought 
quiescent  or  receptive  of  Him  who  spake  the  first 
Word  and  declared,  "  It  was  very  good."  And 
the  "  Harmony  of  the  Spheres  "  is  no  poetic  im- 
agery, but  describes  the  rhythmic  movements,  vi- 
brant with  melody,  of  the  Great  Breath  after  the 
Tattvas,  by  interaction  had  been  evolved,  one  after 
another. 


CHAPTER  III 

HOW  TO  GAIN  THE  MASTER-KEY 

EVERY  natural  force  is  ready  to  work  with 
and  for  us  if  we  use  it  intelligently,  accord- 
ing to  its  law.     All  readers  of  the  previous 
essays  must  comprehend  now,   I  think,   that  the 
Tattvic  forces  are  the  active  agents  of  all  Kosmic 
intelligence  and  energy.     Our  task  now  is  to  learn 
what  is  our  measure  of  responsibility   for  their 
harmonious  movement,  and  how  we  can  gain  the 
mastery  instead  of  being  mastered  by  them. 

In  the  physical  body,  the  nerves  are  the  lines 
through  which  the  Tattvas  speed  to  their  assigned 
field  of  influence,  and  one  nerve  may  carry  several 
vibrations  simultaneously  just  as  a  single  electric 
wire  transmits  many  messages.  The  moment  they 
enter  the  human  body,  however,  the  Tattvic  vi- 
brations encounter  the  disturbing  influences  which 
are  ceaselessly  arising  in  the  average  mind.  The 
reasons  for  this,  though  they  have  so  completely 
baffled  the  scientist  that  there  are  still  many  who 
deny  that  thought  can  possibly  influence  matter, 

35 


36        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

are  extremely  simple,  logical,  and  absolutely  scien- 
tific. In  the  Tattvic  law  we  find  the  solution. 

It  has  been  demonstrated  beyond  question  that 
emotions  of  hate,  passion,  fear,  or  a  guilty  con- 
science generate  poisons  in  the  human  system  which, 
when  not  active  enough  to  kill  (the  poisoned  milk 
of  an  angry  mother  has  been  known  to  kill  her 
nursing  infant)  are  the  primary  cause  of  many 
disorders ;  and  they  give  their  distinct  colors  to  the 
secretions  of  the  perspiratory  glands.  These  ef- 
fects are  caused  by  the  abnormal  vibrations  into 
which  the  Tattvas  are  thrown  by  the  above  mental 
states.  Thus  with  every  thought  we  are  moulding 
these  bodies  of  ours  to  ease  or  dis-es.se. 

Every  atom,  every  molecule  of  your  body  is  as 
sensitive  to  the  thoughts  within  (yea,  and  only 
less  sensitive  to  those  without!)  as  is  a  feather 
to  a  riffle  of  air.  It  is  only  strong,  positive  per- 
sonalities who  think  their  own  thoughts;  more 
than  half  of  humanity  simply  reflect  the  thoughts 
of  other  people,  for  the  Tattvas  carry  them  to  re- 
sponsive minds.  They  are  the  wings  of  thought. 

The  usurped  over-lordship  of  the  sense-directed 
mind  is  the  source  of  most  of  the  ills  and  sufferings 
of  the  body;  and  its  crowning  sin  and  most  disas- 
trous menace  are  that  it  stifles  the  soul  and  prevents 
its  growth  through  the  experiences  which  should 
be  its  daily  and  hourly  portion.  The  sooner  you 
recognize  that  you  are  a  Soul  and  have  a  body 


How  to  gain  the  Master-Key  37 

(a  world-wide  difference  from  the  ordinary  con- 
ception) the  sooner  you  will  become  conscious  of 
an  increased  vitality  and  strength;  for  the  rousing 
of  the  soul  to  conscious  activity  through  this  rec- 
ognition raises  the  Tattvic  vibrations  to  a  higher, 
more  subtle  plane.  The  resulting  sense  of  well- 
being  is  the  proof  that  you  are  actually  remaking 
your  body  of  purer  materials  through  the  har- 
monic co-operation  of  all  the  elements  needed  for 
its  up-building. 

When  once  you  have  experienced  the  thrill  that 
this  consciousness  gives  you,  you  will  never  again 
deny  the  dynamic  power  of  thought,  nor  the  deeply 
significant  truth  that  spirit  works  through  matter. 

These  physical  bodies  of  ours  are  always  in  a 
state  of  flux  and  reflux  —  like  molten  metal  or 
plastic  gypsum  —  every  component  atom  taking 
the  form  —  that  is,  the  vibration,  which  the 
thought  of  the  moment  gives  rise  to.  Every 
thought,  even  the  most  idle  and  fleeting  which  the 
mind  admits  to  its  sanctum,  speeds  away  on  one  of 
the  wires  centering  there,  to  affect  for  good  or 
ill  the  molecules  influenced  by  that  nerve. 

When  you  banish  the  army  of  discordant  war- 
ring thoughts  which  sense-perceptions  are  ever 
giving  rise  to,  and  declare  your  real  self,  your 
soul,  the  ruler,  you  are  exercising  a  will-power 
which  connects  your  soul  with  the  great  central 
Dynamo,  the  Divine  Spirit;  and,  with  channels 


j8        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

freed  for  their  flow,  streams  of  vital  force  will 
speed  over  your  nerves  in  full  rhythmic  currents, 
which  will  stimulate  all  the  atoms  to  harmonious 
vibration. 

Now,  the  problem  before  us  is,  how  are  we  to 
quiet  the  frivolous,  discord-breeding  activities  of 
our  minds,  so  that  our  souls  shall  come  into  recog- 
nized rulership  of  their  mundane  kingdoms,  the 
physical  bodies,  and  be  able  to  restore  the  rebellious 
subjects  of  these  kingdoms  to  the  co-ordinate  action 
which  their  unity  of  interests  demands?  Here  is 
where  knowledge  of  the  Tattvas  is  of  overwhelm- 
ing importance  to  every  human  being. 

We  cannot  accomplish  this  by  study  and  reading 
alone;  knowing  and  doing  are  two  distinct  acts; 
and  it  is  only  by  using  any  knowledge  that  we 
make  it  our  own.  The  only  road  to  the  conquest 
and  control  of  these  so  restless  minds  is  through 
diligent  practice  of  methods  of  breathing  and  con- 
centration ;  which,  beginning  by  regulating  the  nor- 
mal flow  of  the  Tattvas,  which  purifies  and 
strengthens  the  nerves,  then  gives  us  the  power 
to  silence  the  clamor  of  the  senses  and,  with  the 
soul  freed  from  the  shackles  of  these  energy- 
wasters,  to  send  the  vital  current  wherever  we 
wish. 

It  is  difficult  for  some  to  understand  how  the 
positive  and  negative  currents  of  Prana  can  flow 
down  the  right  and  left  sides  of  the  spine  and  speed 


How  to  gain  the  Master-Key  39 

over  the  nerves,  since  breath,  thy  say,  can  enter  the 
lungs  only. 

The  gross  bulk  of  the  air,  that  which  inflates  the 
lungs,  does  not  penetrate  through  muscles,  nerves, 
and  bones.  But  the  subtle  force  within  it,  that 
which  is  life-giving,  renewing,  and  rebuilding 
speeds  everywhere,  an  electric,  vital  fluid;  and  the 
more  rhythmical  the  breathing  the  greater  the 
tendency  of  all  the  molecules  in  the  body  to  yield 
to  this  current  and  move  in  the  same  direction, 
which  vastly  increases  the  electrical  power. 

The  distinction  between  breath  and  Prdna  is  a 
very  subtle  one,  and  most  attempts  to  describe  the 
latter  consist  of  affirmations  followed  by  denials. 
Even  the  Swami  Vivekananda,  who  could  think  so 
clearly  in  English  that  he  seemed  to  have  a  psycho- 
logical grasp  of  Western  modes  of  thought,  could 
not  escape  the  Hindu  propensity  to  strive  for  the 
finest  conceivable  distinction.  After  saying  that 
the  most  obvious  manifestation  of  Prdna  is  the 
breath,  and  that  "  This  Prdna  is  the  vital  force  in 
every  being,  and  the  finest  and  highest  action  of 
Prdna  is  thought,"  he  concludes  by  this  statement: 
"  And  yet  we  cannot  call  it  force,  because  it  is  only 
the  manifestation  of  it. 

Other  writers  are  equally  baffling,  yet  this  need 
not  give  us  concern.  Every  one  who  practices  will 
learn  to  know  Prdna  for  what  it  is.  To  say  that 
breath  is  "  something  very  different  from  Prdna  " 


40        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

is  not  only  misleading  but  unnecessarily  confusing; 
and  in  great  part  the  ultimate  analyses  reached  by 
all  these  quibblings  are  distinctions  without  a  dif- 
ference, a  splitting  of  hairs  as  it  were;  for  a  breath 
without  Prdna  is  unthinkable,  since  it  pervades  all 
space,  and  has  within  it  the  force  that  moves  the 
Universe  and  holds  the  planets  in  their  spheres. 
Wanting  Prdna  we  should  not  breath  at  all,  and 
its  withdrawal  brings  physical  life  to  its  close. 

Prdna  is  the  terrestrial  manifestation  of  solar 
energy,  and  its  perpetual  cycling  motion  from 
within  outward  and  back  again,  supplies  the  lever 
that  controls  the  automatic  contraction  and  expan- 
sion of  the  lungs.  It  is,  moreover,  the  vehicle 
and  stimulator  of  that  thinking  principle  within 
us  which  superintends  all  the  automatic  functions 
of  internal  organs.  The  importance  of  never  for- 
getting the  imperative  need  that  the  positive  and 
negative  currents  of  Prdna  be  equally  balanced 
should  now  be  clear  to  all  students. 

The  control  of  this  all-pervading  energy,  the 
vital  or  creative  force  in  every  atom  is  called 
Prdndydma;  and  it  is  in  the  Held-breath  exercise 
that  we  generate  the  will-power  to  gain  this  mas- 
tery. The  philosophy  of  this  is  that  the  force  of 
the  vibrations  thus  concentrated  upon  given  cen- 
ters, or  nerve-plexuses,  strikes  with  such  an  impact 
upon  the  myriad  of  molecules  and  atoms  as  to  im- 
part a  sympathetic,  rhythmical,  direction  and  mo- 


How  to  gain  the  Master-Key  41 

tion;  and,  holding  steadily  to  a  single  focus  the 
customary  scattering  mental  impulses,  thus  gener- 
ates higher  and  more  subtle  rates  of  vibration. 
The  higher  they  are,  the  purer  and  finer,  and  the 
greater  the  power  of  the  Tattvas  which  make  up 
the  current  of  Prdna. 

The  next  exercise,  therefore,  for  which  the  pre- 
ceding ones,  besides  having  their  special  effect  in 
regulating  the  vital  currents  and  calming  the 
nerves,  have  been  a  preparation,  gives  precedence 
to  holding  the  breath,  hence  its  name.  The  Held- 
breath  is  also  alternate,  and  begins  like  the  other 
exercise  with  a  negative  —  left  —  inhalation,  clos- 
ing the  right  nostril.  The  usual  count  for  begin- 
ners is  four  for  inhalation,  hold  sixteen,  and  exhale, 
through  right  nostril,  during  eight;  then  inhale 
throught  right  nostril  and  continue  by  same  count. 
A  complete  exercise  is  one  negative  breath  followed 
by  a  positive,  and  therefore  includes  two  held- 
breaths  and  corresponding  exhalations.  This  is 
one  "  round,"  and  four  repetitions  are  sufficient 
for  one  practice. 

Rid  yourself  of  any  impression  that  you  must 
use  force  to  hold  the  breath.  That  will  cause  con- 
striction and  tension  somewhere,  usually  in  the 
throat.  You  simply  arrest  the  outward  motion, 
and  the  whole  passage  over  which  the  vital  current 
flows,  from  nostril  to  base  of  spine  is  perfectly 
free.  If  you  cannot  so  realize  it,  image  to  your- 


42        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

self  an  open  conduit  filled  with  purest  ozone  run- 
ning down  through  the  center  of  your  being. 
Nothing  but  vigor  can  or  should  radiate  from  it. 

This  exercise  for  Prdndyamd  should  never  be 
taken  within  two  hours  after  eating,  and  is  best 
practiced  before  meals.  Four  practice-periods 
daily  are  sufficient,  and  the  most  favorable  hours 
are  early  in  the  morning, —  the  nearer  sunrise  the 
better, —  at  noon,  in  the  gloaming,  and  just  before 
retiring.  It  is  very  important  that  regularity, 
should  be  observed  in  practice.  More  rapid  prog- 
ress will  be  made  in  two  regular  periods  (same 
time  daily)  than  in  many  irregular  ones.  Length 
of  count  can  be  increased  from  four  to  six  as  you 
gain  power;  preserving,  however,  the  same  ratio, 
as  six,  twenty-four,  twelve.  Upon  this  point, 
Hindu  teaching  lays  emphasis. 

If  you  turn  the  thought  inward,  following  the 
current  down,  there  will  be  no  sensation  of  discom- 
fort, oppression,  or  constriction  anywhere  during 
the  holding  of  the  breath.  Under  this  mental  di- 
rection the  vital  force  will  surge  upon  the  desig- 
nated center  with  stimulating  power.  The  follow- 
ing directions  for  concentration  are  to  be  considered 
merely  as  suggestions  for  practice,  and  should  be 
varied  according  to  personal  needs.  During  the 
first  round,  concentrate  the  thought  upon  the  sac- 
ral plexus;  second  round,  upon  the  solar  plexus; 
third,  between  the  shoulders,  rather  low  down; 


How  to  gain  the  Master-Key  43 

and  fourth  round,  at  the  back  of  the  throat  upon 
the  "  nceud  vital "  in  the  great  vagus  nerve.  It  is 
important  to  concentrate  upon  the  same  center  or 
centers  in  one  round. 

The  solar  plexus  (back  of  the  stomach  and  in 
front  of  the  aorta  —  the  spot  often  described  as 
"the  pit  of  the  stomach")  sends  out  important 
ganglia  through  the  viscera,  and  it  is  to  the 
whole  nervous  system  what  the  heart  is  to  the  cir- 
culation of  the  blood.  Concentration  in  this  center 
not  only  affects  profoundly  the  whole  digestive 
system  —  intestinal  as  well  as  gastric  —  stimulat- 
ing normal  functioning  of  every  part,  but  it  reacts 
beneficially  upon  even  remote  centers  through  the 
higher  power  of  the  electric  current  thus  generated, 
and  strengthens  the  whole  body.  Hold  the 
thought  while  centering  it  here  upon  a  luminous 
deep  blue  disc  encircled  by  rings  of  yellow,  orange, 
and  red.  Close  your  eyes  and  fix  your  mental 
gaze  upon  the  disc.  It  is  a  great  help  to  mental 
control,  and  you  will  soon  see  the  glowing  colors 
so  plainly  that  you  will  not  need  to  imagine  them. 
The  whole  rainbow  of  colors  can  be  seen  by  psychic 
vision. 

Sometimes  it  is  an  aid  in  getting  control  of  the 
mind  to  transfer  the  thought  after  the  first  eight  of 
holding  to  another  plexus  for  the  last  half  of  the 
count.  Thus,  hold  first  on  sacral  plexus,  then 
raise  the  thought  to  between  the  shoulders  for  the 


44        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

last  half  of  the  sixteen;  and  hold  on  solar  plexus 
during  eight,  then  transfer  to  the  throat  for  re- 
mainder of  count. 

The  downward  flowing  currents  are  physical 
in  their  influence  and  the  upward  flowing  are 
psychical,  so  it  is  always  best  to  terminate  practice 
with  concentration  upon  upper  centers.  Other  im- 
portant centers  for  concentration  are  the  heart; 
the  tip  of  the  nose;  the  toes,  big  and  little;  soles 
of  the  feet  when  they  are  cold;  between  the  eyes; 
the  tip  and  the  root  of  the  tongue ;  the  little  fingers ; 
and  the  brain-center,  or  top  of  the  head.  Concen- 
tration upon  these  vital  centers  is  force-creating  as 
faithful,  regular  practice  will  soon  convince  you. 

To  the  invalid  who  seeks  in  these  exercises  res- 
toration of  the  health  and  vigor  longed  for,  I  give 
this  special  message:  First  image  clearly  what 
you  wish  to  attain,  and  then  hold  the  image  stead- 
fastly in  mind, —  an  image,  or  picture,  of  health, 
strength,  activity,  and  helpfulness  instead  of  their 
enslaving  opposites.  As  far  as  possible,  conscious- 
ness of  infirmities  must  be  banished.  Waste  no 
strength  in  denial  of  suffering.  It  is  fearfully  real 
for  the  time  being,  but  every  moment  when  you 
can  put  all  the  complications  in  the  back-ground, 
rising  to  a  plane  of  serenity  and  harmonious  vibra- 
tions above  them,  assists  in  reflecting  better  con- 
ditions. 

This  is  why  we  should  "  become  as  little  chil- 


How  to  gain  the  Master-Key  45 

dren."  The  child's  mind  is  as  free  from  prejudices 
and  beliefs  as  a  fresh-washed  slate  from  marks. 
It  reflects  sympathetically  every  vibration  cast 
upon  its  innocent  undefiled  substance;  and  it  is 
most  helpful  when  we  grown-ups  can  cultivate  a 
child's  power  of  "  make-believe." 

We  are  coming  to  realize  that  we  choose  for 
ourselves  of  what  stuff  these  physical  bodies  shall 
be  moulded,  and  in  the  ceaseless  activities  of  our 
minds  determine  whether  they  shall  be  harmonious 
or  discordant. 


CHAPTER  IV 

HOW  TO  USE  THE  MASTER-KEY 

THE  secret  of  all  success  in  every  under- 
taking is  concentration  of  all  energy  and 
all  endeavor  upon  that  aim.     Remittent 
effort,  with  many  irons  in  the  fire  sharing  atten- 
tion and  strength,  is  a  wasting  drain  upon  time 
and  human  energy;  and  never,  unless  under  rarely 
fortuitous     circumstances,     produces     more    than 
mediocre  results. 

This  importance  of  concentration  is  well  un- 
derstood in  its  bearing  upon  the  material  interests 
in  life;  but  its  real  potentiality  is  not  even  dreamed 
of  until,  in  connection  with  the  rhythmic  breath, 
it  is  used  to  bring  the  mind  under  control;  and, 
through  the  mind,  the  body.  This  system  of 
teaching  the  overcoming  of  the  lower  self,  by  no 
means  belittling  the  body  or  any  form  of  matter 
but  recognizing  the  power  and  influence  of  every 
atom,  proves  to  us  in  clarion  tones  of  conviction 
the  personal  responsibility  of  all  who  are  endowed 
with  intelligence  for  the  perfection  of  that  body 
through  right  thinking. 

46 


How  to  use  the  Master-Key  47 

It  is  by  controlling  these  bodies  of  ours  first, 
with  all  their  passions  and  emotions  —  none  of 
them  designed  for  our  undoing  but  as  schools  of 
strength  —  that  we  build  the  ladders  which  carry 
us  to  unknown,  almost  unbelievable  heights  of  in- 
tellectual and  spiritual  power;  heights  where  we 
know  that  all  lasting,  enduring  power  is  indis- 
solubly  united  with,  because  proceeding  from,  the 
spiritual  force;  and  is  fed  by  rhythmic  currents 
of  Tattvic  vibrations  of  so  high  and  subtle  a  char- 
acter that  they  are  unaffected  by  the  disturbances 
on  the  grosser  planes  of  being.  Only  spiritually 
can  we  know  them;  and  in  rare,  exalted  moments 
they  give  us  a  perception  of  the  "  Harmony  of 
the  Spheres."  The  source  of  strength  thus 
opened  to  one  is  inexhaustible.  Practice  will  give 
every  human  being  access  to  it,  for  the  reservoir 
is  within  every  soul. 

The  effective  use  of  the  master-key  is  by  means 
of  concentration.  Only  thus  can  we  gain  so  firm 
a  hold  upon  the  key  that  we  can  unlock  and  open 
the  magic  realm  of  power  to  which  it  gives  access. 
The  practice  of  the  exercises  for  Prdndyama  puri- 
fies the  body  through  the  impetus  it  gives  to  the 
expulsion  of  all  wastes,  and  it  greatly  increases 
the  flow  of  the  most  favorable  Tattvas,  which, 
speeding  rhythmically  over  the  nerves,  clear  the 
channels  of  all  jarring  and  jangling  vibrations, — 
those  irregular  and  abnormal  atomic  vibrations 


48        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

which  cause  disease.  In  brief,  this  exercise  — 
through  bringing  the  vital  force,  Prdna,  under 
control  and  raising  the  currents  to  vastly  higher 
power,  more  subtle  vibrations,  prepares  the  way 
and  the  stimulus  to  gain  the  power  of  concentra- 
tion; for  every  particle  of  control  over  Prdna  is 
control  over  the  mind  as  well. 

Concentration  is  the  bridge  which  spans  the 
gulf  between  the  visible,  physical  world  and  the 
wonderful  invisible  one  of  Nature's  finer  forces. 
It  is  the  first  step  in  consciously  exercising  the  sub- 
conscious mind, —  the  immediate  vehicle  of  the 
soul's  expression.  Only  by  concentration  can  we 
quiet  the  kaleidoscopic  flitting  of  idle  thoughts 
through  the  conscious  mind.  Through  their  train 
of  upheaving  emotions,  they  are  constantly  beat- 
ing upon  Nature's  harmonious  vibrations  and 
throwing  them  into  waves  of  discord.  The  mo- 
ment we  arrest,  through  concentration,  the  energy- 
wasting  activities  of  the  senses,  which  furnish 
much  of  this  mental  hash,  we  bring  our  minds  un- 
der control  of  our  souls  and  give  our  real  selves  a 
chance  to  live  and  develop  the  powers  which  lie 
latent  in  every  human  being,  awaiting  only  recog- 
nition and  the  stimulus  of  use  or  exercise  to  be 
evolved. 

The  need  for  the  silent  period  of  concentration 
is  the  need  for  meditation,  that  men  may  learn  to 
know  their  spiritual  selves,  and  gain  the  peace  and 


How  To  Use  the  Master-Key  49 

strength  which  can  be  found  in  no  other  way. 
The  man  of  meditation  is  the  man  of  poise  who 
meets  life's  perplexities  with  the  confidence  drawn 
from  this  unfailing  source.  In  the  rush  and  tur- 
moil of  life  this  noblest  part  of  being  lies  latent 
when  not  denied.  The  progress  of  the  race  dur- 
ing centuries  has  been  vastly  retarded  by  the  mis- 
taken attitude  towards  the  soul.  It  has  been 
treated  as  a  mysterious  something,  quite  apart  from 
practical  affairs,  which  must  be  "  saved  "  for  the 
future  life;  forgetful  —  yea,  for  the  most  part  ig- 
norant !  —  that  it  is  ever  and  always  the  imma- 
nent present  which  demands  the  exercise  of  the  soul. 
By  the  conquest  of  self  in  that  exercise  —  and 
the  first  enemy  is  selfishness  —  the  soul  saves  it- 
self and  grows  to  immortal  stature. 

It  is  the  exaltation  of  the  physical  body  as  the 
mundane  manifestation  of  self  whose  needs,  com- 
fort, and  pleasure  are  of  paramount  importance 
that  has  made  possible  the  development  of  the 
modern  curse  —  Sunday  saints  who  are  week-day 
sinners.  The  man  who  knows  he  is  a  soul  and 
that  every  vibration  he  sends  out  will  return  to 
him,  cannot  have  one  set  of  morals  for  the  first 
day  in  the  week,  and  an  antagonistic  code  govern- 
ing his  business  dealings  and  private  life.  No 
one  can  learn  the  truths  of  the  Tattvic  Law  with- 
out realizing  personal  responsibility  for  every 
thought  and  act.  It  is  no  longer  an  uncertain 


50        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath" 

belief,  or  a  creed.  It  is  absolute  self-knowledge, 
based  upon  unvarying  natural  law.  And  it  ful- 
fills the  promise  that  "  The  Truth  shall  make  him 
whole." 

The  cult  of  the  "  Power  of  Silence  "  arose  from 
the  immanent  need  to  save  the  world  from  the 
abyss  of  materialism  into  which  it  has  been  plung- 
ing with  its  famous  seven-leagued-boots  of  so- 
called  progress.  Humanity  is  just  rousing  itself 
to  a  realization  of  the  depths  of  degradation  to 
which  this  mad  pursuit  of  material  things  as  the 
be-all  and  end-all  of  existence  is  carrying  the  race. 
And  it  is  waves  of  spiritual  vibrations,  generated 
by  lofty  aspirations  in  the  silence,  which  are  thus 
stirring  the  public  conscience  as  never  before. 

From  this  leaven  are  rising  insistent  demands 
for  ethical  standards  of  conduct  governing  all  hu- 
man relations,  and  the  time  has  come  when  these 
demands  can  never  be  silenced  till  the  principle  of 
the  universal  brotherhood  of  man  passes  from 
theory  into  vigorous  practice,  purifying  every 
branch  of  government  —  Municipal  and  National 
—  and  elevating  all  the  activities  and  relations  of 
life. 

This  is  the  real  Christ  spirit  which  is  to  rescue 
humanity  from  the  present  intolerable  conditions 
of  sordid  grind  and  vicious  selfishness;  and  it  is 
our  privilege  and  responsibility  to  aid  in  thought 
as  well  as  act  in  this  evolution,  of  which  Horatio 


How  To  Use  the  Master-Key  51 

Dresser  wrote  prophetically:  ;<  The  law  of  the 
Christ  is  the  law  of  organic  perfection,  the  Christ 
spirit  made  social  is  the  supreme  triumph  of  all 
the  powers  of  evolution." 

Spiritual  thought  must  descend  as  a  balm  to 
cleanse  and  to  heal  the  wounds  of  crime.  Not 
the  common  vulgar  crimes  of  ignorance  or  of  un- 
governable passion  which  education  combats;  but 
the  far  more  dangerous  ones  —  more  heinous  in 
the  sight  of  God,  more  fatal  to  the  soul !  —  the 
deliberate,  cold-blooded  crimes  of  Satanically  im- 
moral intellects  which  have  sacrificed  all  human 
welfare  and  National  prosperity  to  selfish  per- 
sonal greed  and  ambition.  All  human  moralities 
melt  away  before  such  aims.  But  they  can  neither 
affect  nor  withstand  the  force  of  the  stupendous 
moral  wave  circling  round  our  sphere. 

It  is  man  himself  who  must  ameliorate  the  pres- 
ent deplorable  conditions ;  he  created  them  —  cre- 
ated all  wickedness,  all  crime  and  misery,  through 
wrong  thinking  prompting  evil  doing.  There  is 
no  wickedness  in  the  lower  kingdoms ;  and  through 
the  power  of  right-thinking  man  must  lift  the  race 
from  its  present  state  of  wretchedness  and  suffer- 
ing. He  must  change  conditions.  Every  human 
being,  no  matter  how  isolated  the  life,  can  aid  the 
cause  by  right  thinking.  It  is  the  quality  of  our 
thinking  that  —  through  the  Tattvas  we  draw  to 
us  —  makes  us  what  we  are,  and  upon  which  all 


52        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

our  influence  depends.  Dedicate  your  daily  life 
to  high  ideals,  and  in  this  training  of  self-control 
and  self-knowledge  your  soul  will  increase  in  sen- 
sitive intuition  to  all  promptings  from  the  creative 
resources  of  the  Spirit  which  are  infinite. 

Horatio  Dresser,  than  whom  none  has  aided 
more  in  the  cult  of  spiritual  thought,  says: 
"  Deep  within  every  human  soul  there  is  a  dorm- 
ant intuition  which,  if  it  be  quickened,  will  guide 
us  as  unerringly  as  the  instinct  of  the  dove,  to  our 
home  in  God  "  (Power  of  Silence) .  That  "  quick- 
ening "  can  be  obtained  only  when  we  listen 
for  our  soul's  commands.  This  is  difficult  in  the 
hurly-burly  of  life  till  we  have  made  our  minds 
sensitive  to  the  soul's  lightest  whisper  by  wooing  it 
in  silent  concentration. 

Remember  that  we  thus  raise  the  Tattvas  to  a 
subtle  plane,  which  means  increasing  activity, — 
vastly  increased  velocity.  This  higher  rate  of  vi- 
brations increases  the  power  of  the  soul  to  mani- 
fest its  control  over  the  mind,  in  fact,  puts  the  two 
en  rapport  as  nothing  else  can.  The  strength 
which  the  mind  thus  gains  is  shared  by  every  nerve 
and  externalized  in  the  increased  vigor  and  vitality 
of  the  body.  Existence  should  be  made  a  joy. 
Only  thus  can  any  soul  manifest  its  highest  powers. 
And  to  this  end  the  daily  life  as  far  as  it  is  under 
personal  control,  should  be  ordered  with  harmony 
and  restraint.  Moderation  in  eating  is  important 


How  To  Use  the  Master-Key  53 

and  the  purer  the  foods  —  the  substances  furnished 
for  these  marvelous  Tattvic  activities  —  the  better 
the  results. 

When  there  is  extreme  physical  disturbance, 
more  especially  congestions  of  any  sort,  the  prac- 
tice of  the  exercises  for  Prdndydma  —  the  Held- 
breath  —  would  be  better  omitted.  At  such 
times,  alternate  breathing  —  on  a  count  of  seven 
for  inhalation  and  nine  for  exhalation  —  aids  won- 
derfully in  restoring  poise,  calming  the  mind,  and 
soothing  pain.  Hold  the  breath  a  few  seconds 
before  exhalation,  and  observe  a  like  interval  be- 
fore Inhaling  the  next  breath.  Repeat  six  or  seven 
times  —  that  is,  from  twelve  to  fourteen  breaths. 
According  to  need,  this  exercise  can  be  taken  fre- 
quently —  every  hour  or  two  —  through  the  day, 
and  is  especially  helpful  at  any  moment  of  exces- 
sive fatigue  and  mental  or  nervous  disturbance. 
It  is  the  sovereign  remedy  in  all  crises  of  heart 
weakness. 

For  pains  in  the  back,  the  Held-breath  exer- 
cise affords  almost  immediate  relief,  and  its  con- 
tinued and  regular  practice  strengthens  a  weak 
spine  more  than  anything  else  I  know  of.  It  is 
well  to  precede  this  exercise  with  several  rounds 
of  alternate  breathing  as  given  above.  Do  not 
confound  these  exercises  with  rhythmic  breathing 
(fully  described  in  Chapter  XXXI).  They  are 
remedial  and  corrective,  designed  to  restore 


54        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

normal  conditions.  In  the  well-poised  human  be- 
ing, Nature  takes  care  of  the  regular  alternation  of 
the  currents. 

Instead  of  counting  numbers  during  these  exer- 
cises, and  especially  during  the  Held-breath,  it  is 
best  to  think  a  rhythmic  syllable  or  phrase,  a  sacred 
word  or  lofty  sentiment,  the  repetition  of  which 
holds  the  attention  and  promotes  harmony.  There 
is  a  deep  significance  in  this  which  demands  more 
extended  consideration  than  can  be  given  now. 
By  accenting  the  first  word  in  each  group  of 
three  or  four  (according  to  count),  the  mind  car- 
ries the  number  without  difficulty,  rhythm  is  pro- 
moted, and  another  anchorage  is  formed  for  the 
mind.  This  affirmation,  from  Mrs.  Besant's 
Thought  Power,  is  an  admirable  sentiment  for  the 
purpose:  'The  Self  is  Peace;  that  Self  am  I. 
The  Self  is  Strength,  that  Self  am  I."  But  any 
thought  or  word  of  deep  significance  to  the  student 
will  be  effective. 

In  the  practice  of  the  exercises  for  Prdndyama 
and  in  the  period  of  concentration  following  it, 
the  eyes  should  be  closed.  This  inhibits  one  dis- 
turbing sense-activity,  and  at  the  same  time  dis- 
closes to  us  a  marvelous  inner  vision,  whose  de- 
velopment, like  that  of  all  the  senses,  depends  upon 
use.  The  first  aim  of  concentration  is  to  with- 
draw all  the  senses  from  every  external  excitant, 


How  To  Use  the  Master-Key  55 

for  this  aids  powerfully  in  quieting  the  mind. 
Exactly  in  the  measure  that  we  can  hold  our  at- 
tention to  a  given  point,  do  we  increase  the  rate 
of  the  Tattvic  vibrations,  and  therefore  the  force 
of  Prdna. 

One  of  the  earliest  results  of  regular  and  ef- 
fective practice  is  the  discovery  that  this  internal 
vision  looks  upon  a  marvelous  realm  of  color  due 
to  the  Tattvas  which  we  are  able  to  recognize  by 
their  characteristic  forms  and  colors.  As  these 
vibrations  mingle,  they  vary  from  their  simple 
forms  to  those  of  bewildering  complexity,  form- 
ing every  conceivable  goemetrical  line  and  figure, 
and  the  blended  colors  producing  myriad  hues  and 
tints.  Many  movements  whirl  around  a  central 
dot  or  vortex,  which  sometimes  gives  a  sensation 
of  great  depth  or  unfathomable  space.  This  hole, 
as  it  were,  is  Akdsha,  the  first  vibration  which  was 
thrown  into  undifferentiated  matter  by  the  great 
Primary  Cause,  Divine  Spirit  —  hence,  the  begin- 
ning of  the  involution  of  Spirit  into  matter. 
Sometimes  this  Akdshic  depth  might  be  described 
as  colorless  —  a  glowing  white  light  —  again  as 
black  in  its  intensity,  really  indigo.  These  are 
the  positive  and  negative  phases;  then,  as  the 
Fdyn  vibrations  mingle  with  the  Akdsha^  it 
changes  to  deepest  azure. 

Those  who  have  once  seen  the  wonderful  play 


56       The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

of  light  and  color  within  realize  for  ever  and  aye 
that  there  is  a  realm  where  there  is  no  night,  and 
a  light  that  penetrates  the  densest  matter  —  the 
light  that  never  was  on  sea  or  land. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE    EVOLUTION  OF  THE  TATTVAS 

IN  the  evolution  of  the  Tattvas  we  trace  the 
evolution  of  the  Soul  to  its  beginning  in  the 
involution  of  the  Spirit.     The  one  is  as  in- 
separably connected  with  the  other  as  are  the  in- 
teracting energies  of  the  positive  and  negative  life- 
currents;  the  out-breathing  and  the  in-breathing  of 
the  Divine  Spirit  (or  the  thought  active  and  the 
thought  quiescent),  upon  which  all  life  and  mo- 
tion depend. 

Thus,  spiritual  activity  is  the  creator  of  all 
things;  and  the  energy  behind  all  motion,  without 
which  creation  is  unthinkable,  derives  its  power 
from  the  one  source.  The  first  manifestation  of 
that  power  was  positive  and  negative  —  the  ac- 
tive impressing  its  thoughts  or  action  upon  the  re- 
ceptive passive  —  and  A  kasha  was  the  first  Tattva 
evolved  by  the  interaction  of  these  Divine  cur- 
rents of  spiritual  force.  The  Kosmic  void  of  un- 
differentiated  matter  —  the  Hindu's  Prakriti  — 
was  formless,  and  the  first  need  of  differentiation 
was  the  space  in  which  to  create  many  forms; 
therefore,  the  characteristic  property  of  Akdshic 

57 


58        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

vibrations  is  to  make  space,  and  the  closer  the  im- 
pact of  matter  upon  the  vibrations  the  louder  is 
the  sound  of  their  movement.  This  is  the  reason 
of  the  phenomenon  that  Natural  Philosophy  ex- 
plains as  the  denser  the  medium  the  better  con- 
ductor is  it  of  sound. 

The  homely  and  familiar  comparison  (in  the 
Aitareya-Aranyaka-Upanishad)  by  the  learned 
Hindu  teacher,  of  the  ether  —  that  is,  the  Akdsha 
—  to  a  bowl  in  which  all  the  other  elements  were 
poured,  is  extremely  felicitous  and  graphic.  In 
very  fact  all  the  other  Tattvas,  one  after  the  other 
in  their  turn,  were  evolved  and  are  continually 
mingled  in  the  spaces  of  Akdsha. 

Akdshic  energy,  expressed  as  sound,  has  long 
been  recognized  as  both  the  builder  and  disinte- 
grator of  form.  The  wonderfully  beautiful  geo- 
metrical forms  into  which  dry  sand,  sprinkled  upon 
a  drum-head  or  upon  a  sonorous  plate,  will  move 
under  the  impulse  given  by  musical  tones  show  the 
ever  formative  effect  of  Akdshic  vibrations. 

It  was  through  an  ingenious  device  of  the  Ger- 
man philosopher  Chladni  that  sound  vibrations 
were  first  made  visible —  circa  1785.  He  ob- 
served that  plates  of  metal  or  glass  gave  out  dif- 
ferent sounds  according  as  they  were  struck  at  dif- 
ferent points;  and  he  conceived  the  idea  of  strew- 
ing the  surface  with  fine  sand,  and  drawing  a  vio- 
lin bow  across  the  edge  of  the  plate,  while  damping 


The  Evolution  of  the  Tattvas  59 

the  vibrations  at  certain  points  by  touching  the 
edge  with  his  finger  tips.  This  established  nodal, 
or  rest,  lines  along  which  the  sand  grains  shifted, 
showing  the  form  of  the  vibrations;  and  by  vary- 
ing the  points  of  contact,  both  for  drawing  the 
bow  and  damping  the  vibrations,  a  great  variety 
of  beautiful  figures  were  produced  corresponding 
with  varying  tones.  It  was  thus  found  that  a 
given  tone  always  produced  the  same  figure;  so 
the  experiments  disclosed  an  unvarying  law  of 
sound  vibrations. 

Illustrations  of  these  sand  forms,  called 
"  Chladni's  Figures,"  can  be  seen  in  Tyndall's 
Sound  and  in  most  text  books  upon  Natural  Phil- 
osophy. They  are  of  particular  interest  in  our 
study  because  they  betray  the  presence  of  all  the 
Tattvas  in  manifold  combinations  in  the  different 
musical  tones,  and  show  how  their  characteristic 
vibrations  are  modified  by  interaction  one  with  an- 
other. 

Efforts  to  establish  the  laws  of  tonal  color 
should  investigate  this  field;  for  color,  following 
form  in  Kosmic  manifestation,  is  inseparably  con- 
nected with  it,  and  as  invariable  as  the  form. 
Each  may  be  recognized  by  the  other.  Helmholtz 
discovered  that  every  color  has  its  special  vibration 
(that  is,  /orw),  but  he  drew  the  false  inference 
therefrom,  that  the  secondary  colors  were  not 
formed  from  the  primaries.  The  Tattvic  law  cor- 


60       The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

roborates  the  original  conception,  and  by  its  means 
the  presence  of  any  element  can  be  detected  by  the 
known  influences,  or  effects,  of  the  blending  of 
colors. 

"  In  the  realm  of  hidden  Forces,"  every  audible 
sound  is  a  subjective  color;  and,  vice  versa,  every 
visible  color  is  an  inaudible  sound.  Both  proceed 
from  the  same  potential  substance  which  Physi- 
cists used  to  call  ether.  Occultists  pronounce  it, 
"  plastic,  though  invisible,  Space." 

The  deeper  we  study  the  Tattvic  Law  of  the 
Universe  the  deeper  is  our  conviction  that  every- 
thing in  the  natural  world  moves  rhythmically. 
It  is  only  when  the  human  mind  steps  in  with  its 
responsibility  of  free  will  to  choose  the  right  or 
the  wrong  thought  and  act  that  life's  rhythm  is 
broken  and  all  its  vibrations  thrown  into  a  discord- 
ant jangle. 

There  is  a  center  of  unity  in  all  things, —  the 
ever  present  Akdsha;  and  creative  power,  working 
in  this  center,  always  manifests  itself  with  rhyth- 
mic harmony.  Holding  as  it  does  every  form 
(and  therefore,  all  colors)  potentially,  Akdsha 
at  all  times  foreshadows  the  qualities  of  all  the 
Tattvas,  and  intervenes  between  every  two. 
Every  progressive  step  in  the  evolution  of  the 
Tattvas  is  instinct  with  Divine  intelligence,  prepar- 
ing the  way  for  the  crowning  effort  of  creation  — 
man  with  his  manifold  activities,  equipped  to  con- 


The  Evolution  of  the  Tattvas  61 

quer  and  dominate  the  vast  realms  of  inanimate 
nature. 

Space  having  resulted  from  the  interaction  of 
the  positive  and  negative  currents  of  Akdsha, 
there  was  room  for  locomotion;  and  the  spheres 
of  Vdyu  appeared  next  and  began  to  whirl  in  the 
Akdshic  vortices,  born  of  the  union  of  the  Akdshic 
currents.  Again  I  must  refer  to  the  illustrations 
of  Professor  Loeb's  biological  work  in  the  Septem- 
ber, 1905,  Cosmopolitan;  for,  as  far  as  that  spark 
of  laboratory-created  life  progressed,  it  corrobor- 
ates the  Hindu  revelation  of  the  evolution  of  the 
Tattvas,  and  the  law  of  their  several  activities 
and  influences. 

After  Fdyu,  the  next  need  was  heat  to  expand 
the  air,  therefore  we  find  that  the  mingling  of 
Vdyu  vibrations  with  'Akdsha  produces  Tejas  vibra- 
tions of  light  which  generate  heat,  and  which  man- 
ifest their  presence  in  this  dual  character. 
Through  the  action  of  heat  upon  air,  water  is 
formed,  hence  Apas  vibrations  were  the  next  re- 
sult of  creative  energy;  and  the  combined  activities 
of  the  other  Tattvas  condensed  water  into  Prithlvi 
vibrations,  completing  the  primary  differentiations 
of  Kosmic  matter.  Thus,  with  the  fifth  Tattva, 
the  self-conscious  universe,  an  ocean  of  subtly  fine, 
psychic  matter,  came  into  existence.  By  succes- 
sive interaction,  following  the  established  law  — 
the  Tattvic  vibrations  becoming  ever  coarser  in 


62       The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

their  descent  —  the  other  planes  of  existence 
through  the  mental  to  the  physiological  were 
evolved;  till  the  involution  of  the  Spirit  in  the  ter- 
restrial elements  was  completed,  and  the  earth 
with  its  teeming  life  whirled  in  space. 

The  evolution  of  the  soul  thus  involved  is  man's 
task  in  his  earthly  pilgrimage,  and  it  is  alone 
through  spiritual  thinking  and  living  that  he  can 
make  that  task  a  daily  joy,  and  feel  the  exhilaration 
in  facing  every  duty  which  more  than  half  accom- 
plishes the  work. 

A  spiritual  philosophy  of  life  is  the  foundation 
of  all  right  thinking  and  living.  In  it  is  found 
the  solution  of  Ruskin's  assertion :  "  It  is  only 
by  labor  that  thought  can  be  made  healthy,  and 
only  by  thought  that  labor  can  be  made  happy." 
Health  is  the  mainspring  of  all  successful  effort, 
and  the  spiritually  alive  soul  can  command  health 
as  the  first  blessing.  It  is  the  natural  and  inevit- 
able reward  of  right  thinking  and  spiritual  living; 
that  is,  living  under  the  direct  guidance  of  the 
soul. 

!  When  we  consciously  subordinate  the  physical 
to  the  spiritual,  all  the  atoms  in  our  bodies  feel 
an  impulse  toward  order  from  the  rhythmic  flow 
of  the  Tattvas;  and  even  the  most  rebellious  yields 
to  the  magnetic  attraction  and  vibrates  in  harmony 
with  the  prevailing  rhythm  when  the  currents  are 
fully  established  and  maintained  in  perfect  equili- 


The  Evolution  of  the  Tattvas  63 

brium.  This  is  the  secret  of  all  the  miraculous 
recoveries  of  bed-ridden  invalids;  for  in  moments 
of  supreme  exaltation  through  faith  or  enthusiasm, 
the  Tattvic  currents  are  raised  to  so  high  power 
as  to  sweep  all  obstructions  from  their  path,  and 
to  impart  synchronous  action  to  the  hitherto  war- 
ring elements,  which  almost  instantly  thrills  the 
body  with  a  sensation  of  strength. 

The  higher  we  raise  our  vibrations  through  the 
purifying  action  of  rhythmic  breathing  and  benefi- 
cent thinking,  the  more  we  shall  be  in  touch  and 
cooperate  with  the  finer  forces  round  about  us  — 
their  waves  even  breaking  over  us  —  and  waiting 
for  our  recognition  to  lift  us  to  higher  states  of 
efficiency, —  of  comprehension,  of  intuition,  of 
power  to  think  and  to  do.  Spiritual  perceptions 
and  spiritual  strength  make  possible  a  degree  of 
activity  —  both  mental  and  physical  —  a  power 
of  accomplishment  in  a  given  task,  utterly  beyond 
the  capability  of  mere  physical  energy.  Work 
which  on  the  physical  plane  is  effort,  becomes  a 
joy  and  an  inspiration  when  we  call  to  our  aid  our 
ever  ready,  ever  waiting,  spiritual  forces. 

It  is  the  attitude  of  thought  which  makes  all 
the  difference,  because  every  atom  of  energy  in  the 
physique  has  its  source  in  the  Spirit.  But  on  the 
material  plane  of  manifestation,  as  when  we  speak 
of  "  mere  physical  strength  "  or  "  brute  force," 
the  vibrations  are  grosser  in  character,  unfit  ma- 


64       The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

terial  for  the  Spirit's  activity,  therefore,  lacking 
entirely  the  spiritual  fire  which  sustains  enthusiasm 
and  gives  electrical  force  to  every  thought  and  act 
thus  inspired. 

It  is  this  spiritual  energy  which  in  rare  emer- 
gencies and  moments  of  supreme  excitement  en- 
ables people  to  forget  the  limits  of  physical 
strength  and  to  execute  the  ordinarily  impossible. 
I  knew  a  very  delicate  young  girl,  the  accepted  es- 
timate of  whose  strength  and  endurance  exempted 
her  from  even  the  usual  exertions  of  daily  life  in 
the  home,  who,  under  the  excitement  caused  by 
a  disastrous  fire  very  near,  moved  several  inches 
out  from  the  wall  a  bookcase  eight  feet  high  which 
was  filled  from  floor  to  top  with  heavy  books.  It 
was  all  that  three  strong  men  could  do  to  put  the 
case  back  in  its  place  the  next  morning.  We  can 
train  ourselves  to  employ  this  spiritual  energy  at 
need,  and  thus  eliminate  many  of  the  most  trying 
conditions  in  life.  The  wastefulness  of  common 
methods  of  thought  is  a  constant  drain  of  psychic 
energy  which  we  can  better  employ. 

Every  fact  that  has  been  stated  can  be  verified 
by  personal  experiment,  which  means  persistent 
practice  of  the  breathing  and  concentration  exer- 
cises already  given;  not  intermittent  practice  when 
you  are  reminded  of  it  by  bad  feelings  or  when 
you  happen  to  think  of  it  or  have  nothing  else  you 
would  rather  do.  To  derive  the  benefit,  spirit- 


The  Evolution  of  the  Tattvas  65 

ual,  mental,  and  physical  which  I  assume  all  my 
readers  are  seeking,  the  practice  must  be  regular 
and  at  the  regular  periods  —  as  nearly  as  possible 
the  same  daily.  Never  let  any  of  the  exercises  be- 
come automatic.  Hold  the  mind  to  the  center. 

I  have  tried  to  make  it  very  clear  that  the  pur- 
pose of  the  exercises  in  alternate  breathing  is  to 
restore  the  balance  of  the  Tattvas  and  the  alter- 
nating currents  of  Prdna  (positive  and  negative), 
the  inequality  of  which  is  the  primary  source  of  all 
disease.  Habitual  breathing  should  be  as  full, 
deep,  and  regular  as  conscious  direction  from  time 
to  time  can  make  it.  Habit  is  everything  in  this, 
and  in  forming  good  habits  Nature  comes  to  our 
aid  with  joyful  alacrity.  I  have  failed  utterly  in 
my  purpose  if  I  have  not  convinced  you  that  phy- 
sical, mental,  and  spiritual  harmony  are  promoted 
by  habits  of  rhythmic  breathing  in  the  purest  air 
obtainable.  It  need  not  be  cold  air  to  be  pure, 
but  it  must  be  fresh,  unbreathed  air. 

Continued  practice  of  the  exercises  will  convince 
you  that  you  are  treading  the  long  hidden,  closely 
guarded  path  leading  to  Nature's  treasury  of  se- 
crets. If  your  interests  and  pursuits  are  scientific, 
before  your  clearing  vision  wall  after  wall,  hith- 
erto baffling,  will  fall,  disclosing  long  vistas 
cleared  and  ready  for  your  seeing  eyes  with  as- 
sured foundations,  basic  laws,  inviting  your  fas- 
cinating experiments  into  the  myriad  permutations 


66       The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

of  these  marvelous  forces.  Never  for  an  instant 
are  they  inactive,  but  ever  building  and  disintegrat- 
ing the  visible  and  the  invisible  universe,  involv- 
ing and  evolving  through  their  vibrations  every 
atom  therein  contained. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  UNIVERSALITY  OF  THE  TATTVAS 

IT  should  be  plain  to  all  my  readers  now  that  to 
neglect  proper  exercise  of  the  lungs  by  deep, 
full  inhalations  of  pure,  unbreathed  air,  is  a 
positive  self-limitation  of  vital  force  which  can  be 
justly  named  "  slow  suicide."  The  individual 
thus  living,  even  under  the  most  fortunate  circum- 
stances otherwise,  never  attains  the  maximum  of 
his  or  her  efficiency  and  power,  and  invites  every 
disease.  You  thus  feed  the  disintegrating  forces 
with  the  corruption  which  increases  their  activity; 
and  shut  out  the  renewing  elements  which  upbuild, 
while  furnishing  the  stimulus  to  cast  out  the  worn 
out  products  of  physical  energy.  And  this  man- 
ner of  living,  which  is  the  confirmed  habit  of  multi- 
tudes, is  the  progenitor  of  most  of  the  ills  from 
which  humanity  suffers. 

The  day  is  dawning  when  that  infamous  old 
aphorism  anent  the  "  ills  that  human  flesh  is  heir 
to  "  will  be  recognized  for  what  it  is,  —  the  hid- 
eous subterfuge  of  ignorance  and  credulity.  It 
has  caused  the  most  flagrant  violations  of  Natural 
Law,  and  weighed  like  an  incubus  upon  the  human 

6? 


68       (The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

race,  encouraging  fear  and  every  other  prolific 
agent  of  evil  and  suffering,  being  a  common  source 
of  that  weakness  and  inefficiency  which  produce 
poverty.  Fear  breaks  down  tissue,  and  disorgan- 
izes nerve  cells  as  much  as  any  acknowledged  dis- 
ease. It  is  only  blindness  to  the  latent,  the  poten- 
tial, powers  within  that  makes  possible  the  con- 
ditions from  which  a  majority  of  mankind  suffer 
daily.  As  I  shall  show  you,  this  is  no  digression 
from  our  subject,  the  study  of  the  Tattvas,  but 
most  intimately  connected  therewith. 

When  you  pray  for  strength,  for  health,  for  re- 
lief from  pain,  do  you  realize  what  answer  comes 
back  to  you  from  Divine  silence  ?  It  says  to  you : 
"  Take  them.  The  avenues  are  always  open  to 
you.  Nothing  obstructs  them  but  your  own  will 
and  wrong  thoughts." 

The  moment  you  think  health  and  strength 
yourself,  that  moment  you  begin  to  clear  from  all 
obstructions  the  channels  of  communication  with 
the  sources  of  life-force;  for  every  vibration  on 
the  mental  plane  reacts  upon  those  of  the  physio- 
logical plane.  Notice  particularly  that  your  very 
thought  is  instantly  reflected  in  a  fuller  infla- 
tion of  the  lungs,  which  checks  the  disorder  within 
and  improves  the  vibrations;  and  throughout  the 
universe  like  seeks  like.  Therefore,  by  a  simple 
change  of  mental  attitude  —  simple,  but  oh,  so  im- 
portant !  —  you  invite  harmony  instead  of  dis- 


The  Universality  of  the  Tattvas         69 

cord,  and  co-operate  with  Nature  in  her  ceaseless 
efforts  to  restore  all  the  disordered  vibrations  in 
your  body  to  their  normal  conditions  of  perfect 
rhythmic  balance. 

From  the  ever-blessed  moment  that  you  realize 
your  soul  to  be  the  rightful  ruler  of  its  tenement, 
the  physical  body,  and  bring  your  will  under  the 
soul's  control  —  thereby  transmuting  it  into  soul- 
force  —  rhythmic  vibrations  will  inaugurate  their 
curative,  restorative  work.  Say  in  your  heart: 
Peace!  Peace!  Peace!  Ye  warring  f actions  1 
Ye  can  no  longer  have  dominion  over  me.  I  am 
one  with  all  the  power  for  good  in  the  Universe, 
and  I  will  admit  only  good. 

The  more  you  know  of  the  Tattvic  Law  of  the 
Universe  the  deeper  will  be  your  conviction  of 
these  truths,  and  of  the  individual  responsibility 
for  health  as  the  first  condition  for  beginning  to 
fulfill  God's  intentions  when  he  first  thought  of 
you.  Shakespeare's  intuitions  grasped  a  sublime 
truth.  The  world  is  a  stage;  and,  like  the  actors 
in  a  play,  to  each  and  every  one  is  assigned  a 
given  role.  There  is  a  part  adapted  to  you  as 
to  no  other;  and  yours  is  the  task  to  develop  those 
spiritual  and  moral  qualities  that  lead  to  the  per- 
fection of  your  latent  abilities,  and  give  you  the 
key,  through  intuitive  comprehension,  to  the  se- 
crets of  your  strength  and  your  weakness, —  both 
physical  and  moral.  To  obey  the  command, 


70        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

"  Know  thyself,"  is  to  learn  the  nature  of  these 
hidden  forces,  the  Tattvas,  whose  ceaseless  activi- 
ties, governed  or  misgoverned,  make  us  what  we 
are. 

The  varying  effects  of  the  different  Tattvas  in 
their  activities  within  the  physical  body  are  as  dis- 
similar as  their  characteristic  qualities;  and,  there- 
fore, the  predominance  of  certain  ones,  even  when 
that  condition  is  normal,  is  unfortunate,  and  their 
excess  is  baneful.  It  is  through  the  freedom  of 
the  will  that  you  can  control  and  correct  the  forces 
generated  in  your  body,  and  draw  to  you  the  benefi- 
cent ones  you  desire. 

The  characteristic  form,  features,  and  coloring 

—  complexion,  hair,  and  eyes  —  which  distinguish 
human  beings  one  from  the  other,  are  due  to  the 
particular  permutations  of  the  Tattvas,  which,  on 
the  gross  plane  of  their  activities,   make  up  the 
component  elements  of  different  physiques.     Their 
mental  influence  is,  of  course,   equally  important 
and  individual    (the  physiological  being,   in   fact, 
its  reflection),  the  opinions  formed,  the  bent  of 
every  mind  being  due  to  the  bias  given  to  it  by  the 
prevailing  elements,  or  Tattvas. 

This  individuality,  stamped  by  the  Tattvas,  is 
determined  by  the  color  —  that  is,  the  vibration 

—  of  the  planet  under  which  one  is  born.     This 
fact   gives   us   the   scientific   basis    for   astrology, 
every  planet  being  the  center  of  a  specific  Tattvic 


The  Universality  of  the  Tattvas          71 

influence  just  as  are  the  ganglia  of  the  nervous 
system.  This  agrees  with  and  explains  the  puz- 
zling tenet  of  Hermetic  philosophy,  "  As  it  is 
above,  so  is  it  below,"  and  shows  the  close  parallel- 
ism between  the  microcosm  and  the  macrocosm. 
Always  an  acknowledged  truth,  modern  science  has 
yet  to  point  out  the  first  coincidence.  The  Tatt- 
vic  vibrations  corresponding  thus  with  the  planets 
necessarily  vary  in  force  according  to  their  move- 
ments; every  planet,  and  therefore  the  force  of 
vibrations  emanating  from  it,  being  modified  in 
manifold  ways  according  to  its  nearness  to  or  re- 
moteness from  a  sympathetic  or  a  dominating  sis- 
ter orb.  Much  more  concerning  these  correspond- 
ences will  be  developed  in  later  chapters.  It  could 
not  be  so  well  understood  now.  It  suffices  to  state 
here  that  every  activity  in  man  is  a  microcosmic 
reflection  of  macrocosmic  activity. 

This  Tattvic  influence  is  the  energy,  working 
by  the  same  law,  throughout  the  kingdoms,  min- 
eral, vegetable,  and  animal  of  this  vast  universe. 
Their  myriads  of  permutations  furnish  the  diver- 
sity which  charms  us,  and  their  invariability  that 
ever-recurring  unity  of  action  that  baffles  the  phy- 
sicist with  amazing  paradoxes. 

In  the  process  of  evolution,  every  Tattva, 
though  retaining  its  essential  primary  quali- 
ties (the  properties  already  described  as  differen- 
tiating one  Tattva  from  another  —  see  table  of 


72        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

the  Tattvas,  chapter  II),  combines  with  the  other 
Tattvas  in  the  proportions  of  4  to  i,  and  in  the 
mingling  is  modified  by  their  qualities.  Thus, 
every  molecule  of  Fdyu  consists  of  four  parts  of 
Fdyu  and  one  each  of  the  four  other  Tattvas, 
forming  a  five- fold  division;  together  with  two 
phases,  negative  and  positive,  which  make  up  the 
mystic  seven-fold.  This  number  is  now  recog- 
nized in  science  as  establishing  the  Periodic  Law 
or  system,  which,  grouping  elements  according  to 
their  atomic  weight,  shows  that  elements  of  similar 
chemical  behavior  occur  once  in  seven;  that  is,  in 
octaves  as  do  the  tones  of  the  musical  scale. 

Bearing  in  mind  the  process  of  their  evolution 
one  after  another  from  ethereal  space  to  the  cohe- 
sive resistance  of  Prithivi,  the  earth  vibration,  it 
should  be  understood  that  every  successive  Tattva, 
even  in  its  primary  and  most  subtle  form,  becomes 
more  complex,  for  it  contains  the  impress  of  those 
preceding  it.  Thus,  Prithivi  partakes  of  the  qual- 
ities of  the  four  preceding  Tattvas,  and  adds  its 
own  specific  property.  Two  adjacent  Tattvas 
mingle  more  freely  with  each  other  than  with  the 
more  remote  ones.  For  example,  Prithivi  and 
Apas  are  more  sympathetic  and  congenial  than 
Tejas  and  Prithivi;  and  Apas  yields  to  Tejas  be- 
fore it  does  to  Fdyu.  We  see  this  process  exactly 
illustrated  in  the  change  of  ice  (Prithivic  state  of 
matter)  through  water  to  vapor.  Akdsha  inter- 


The  Universality  of  the  Tattvas          73 

venes  between  every  two  states,  receiving  the  can- 
celled vibrations  of  the  element  passing  into  a  la- 
tent condition  and  yielding  the  potentiality  of  the 
supervening  element;  continuing,  you  see,  to  serve 
as  the  bowl  in  which  Nature  does  her  mixing. 

In  physics,  an  important  law  of  motion  —  known 
as  "  Newton's  third  law  " —  is  this :  "  For  every 
action  there  is  a  reaction,  equal  in  amount  and  op- 
posite in  direction."  This  principle  governs  all 
Tattvic  vibrations.  In  the  separate  Tattvas, 
every  atom  is  reacted  upon  by  an  opposite 
force, —  the  negative  atom  by  a  positive  atom, — 
and  when  the  equal  and  opposite  vibrations  of  the 
same  Tattva  meet  they  cancel  each  other,  and  to- 
gether pass  into  the  Akdshic  state.  An  illustra- 
tion of  this  law  can  be  seen  when  two  waves  of 
equal  size  come  together  so  that  the  crest  of  one 
falls  into  the  trough  of  the  other.  Thus  meeting, 

the  waves  are  cancelled  and  smooth  water  results. 

A 

This  conjunction,  or  rest  point,  is  Akdshic;  for 
Akdsha  precedes  and  follows  every  change  on 
every  plane  of  motion  and  life. 

In  the  action  of  light-waves  the  same  phenome- 
non has  been  observed  whenever  a  difference  of 
path  brings  passing  waves  so  that  the  crest  of  one 
set  of  rays  falls  over  the  trough  of  the  other  set. 
The  conjunction  (Akashic)  of  the  two  beams  of 
light  produces  darkness.  The  interference  of 
sound,  as  when  the  condensed  part  of  one  sound 


74        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

meets  the  rarified  part  of  another,  and  they  neutral- 
ize each  other,  producing  silence,  is  yet  another 
illustration  of  this  physical  law.  It  was  formerly 
considered  an  "  acoustic  paradox." 

These  few  illustrations  show  how  the  Tattvic 
Law  explains  the  most  puzzling  and  contradictory 
secrets  of  Nature's  workshop.  They  are  given 
only  as  index-fingers  pointing  the  way  for  every 
interested  student  to  make  original  discoveries. 
This,  to  every  real  thinker,  adds  a  zest  which 
nothing  else  can  give,  and  becomes  a  spur  to  con- 
stant effort  and  constant  progress. 


CHAPTER  VII 

MORE      ABOUT      THE      ALL-PERVADING      TATTVA 
AKASHA 

RECENT  scientific  discoveries  which  have 
tumbled  century-honored  theories  from 
their  pedestals  to  an  abyss  where  we  are 
hastening  to  bury  them  in  that  oblivion  of  disuse 
which  the  world  heaps  upon  its  recognized  errors, 
make  it  important  to  the  student  that  a  little  more 
space  be  given  to  pointing  out  the  interesting  cor- 
roboration  of  the  Tattvic  Law  which  we  can  find 
in  all  of  these  wonders. 

The  greatest  bar  to  scientific  progress  is  stated 
in  this  trenchant  form  by  Mme.  Blavatsky: 

"  Pure  force  is  nothing  in  the  world  of  physics; 
it  is  ALL  in  the  domain  of  Spirit !  "  Now,  notice 
this  particularly.  It  is  the  world  of  force  which 
the  modern  scientist  is  beginning  to  penetrate;  a 
world  of  such  stupendous  forces  as  astounds  him, 
and  at  every  step  he  is  coming  nearer  to  the  Tatt- 
vic  Law. 

The  "  Forty-nine  Fires  "  of  the  Vedas  are  the 
seven  permutations  of  the  Tatfuas  and  the  two 
forces,  hidden  as  yet  and  undefined,  behind  the  posi- 

75 


76       The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

tive  and  negative  currents  of  Prana  (7  x  7  =  49). 
Every  one  of  these  has  well-determined  chemical 
and  physical  potencies  in  contact  with  terrestrial 
matter,  and  a  distinct  function  in  the  physical  and 
spiritual  worlds,  with  a  corresponding  relation  to 
a  human  psychic  faculty.  To  the  ancient  Hindu 
adept  all  these  hidden  forces  were  as  an  open  book, 
and  years  ago  India's  initiates  accurately  predicted 
all  the  amazing  discoveries  and  inventions  of  re- 
cent years,  which  have  furnished  new  foundations 
for  science  and  kept  the  world  marvelling. 

Out  of  the  invisible,  Sir  William  Crookes,  with 
his  "  radiant  matter,"  and  Roentgen,  with  his  X- 
ray,  lured  two  of  these  "  Forty-nine  Fires."  With 
the  X-ray,  the  principle  of  radio-activity  which 
revolutionized  science  was  established;  and  it 
paved  the  way  for  the  discovery  of  the  twentieth- 
century  marvel,  radium,  which  disclosed  radio- 
activity as  an  actual  property  of  matter.  No  one 
conversant  with  the  Tattvic  Law  can  doubt  that 
radium  and  all  the  radio-active  substances  can  be 
properly  classified  among  the  "  Forty-nine  Fires  " 
of  the  Vedas. 

In  all  these  progressions  and  permutations,  the 
higher,  more  subtle  plane,  or  state,  of  matter  is 
positive  to  the  next  lower,  and  every  lower  one  is 
the  result  of  the  interaction  of  the  positive  and 
negative  phases  of  the  next  higher  state. 

Radium  furnishes  us  with  invaluable  data  corro- 


The  All-Pervading  Akasha  77 

berating  the  Tattvic  Law.  But  in  order  to  com- 
prehend the  velocity  of  these  vibrations  (which 
are  ceaselessly  bombarding  us)  and  the  intricacy 
of  the  Tattvic  permutations,  a  few  words  concern- 
ing the  nature  of  atoms  will  be  helpful.  The 
word  atom  is  still  defined  in  standard  dictionaries, 
and  in  text-books  upon  physics  published  within 
the  present  decade,  as  that  ultimate  particle  of  a 
molecule  which  is  indivisible.  In  a  very  slipshod 
fashion,  atom  has  also  been  defined  as  interchange- 
able with  molecule,  and,  therefore,  it  has  crept 
into  very  general  usage  in  the  same  sense.  Al- 
though a  molecule  is  described  as  "  The  smallest 
portion  of  any  substance  in  which  its  properties  re- 
side," it  is  possible,  by  means  of  heat  or  some  other 
chemical  agent,  to  separate  a  molecule  into  two 
or  more  particles,  called  atoms,  "  and  these  can- 
not be  further  divided "  was  the  ultimatum  of 
Natural  Philosophy.  Until  quite  recently,  the 
hydrogen  atom  was  the  smallest  mass  of  matter 
known  to  science,  and,  therefore,  the  accepted  unit 
of  atomic  weight. 

But  what  says  Prof.  George  Darwin  as  to  this? 
"  It  has  been  proved  that  the  simplest  of  all  atoms 
—  namely,  that  of  hydrogen  —  consists  of  eight 
hundred  separate  parts,  while  the  number  of  atoms 
in  the  denser  metals  must  be  counted  by  tens  of 
thousands.  These  separate  parts  have  been  called 
corpuscles,  or  electrons,  and  may  be  described  as 


78        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

particles  of  negative  electricity.  It  is  paradoxi- 
cal, yet  true,  that  the  physicist  knows  more  about 
these  ultra-atomic  corpuscles  and  can  more  easily 
count  them  than  is  the  case  with  the  atom  of 
which  they  form  the  parts." 

Some  of  these  corpuscles  move  at  a  speed  of 
200,000  miles  a  second,  and  the  unscientific  reader 
will  get  a  clearer  idea  of  their  minuteness  if  told 
that  the  molecule,  of  which  they  are  parts,  is  so 
small  as  to  be  invisible  even  under  the  most  power- 
ful microscope.  Sir  William  Thompson  made 
this  graphic  comparison :  "  If  a  drop  of  water  as 
large  as  a  pea  were  magnified  to  the  size  of  the 
earth,  the  molecule  would  appear  scarcely  larger 
than  the  original  drop." 

Radium  gives  off  three  kinds  of  rays  which  have 
been  named  respectively  alpha,  beta,  and  gamma. 
The  alpha  rays  are  compared  to  the  "  ions,"  or 
tiny  particles,  which  fly  from  red-hot  metals. 
They  are  positively  electrified,  and  the  particles 
are  about  twice  the  mass  of  the  hydrogen  atom. 
These  rays  have  a  velocity  of  20,000  miles  a  sec- 
ond, and  are  constantly  emitted  from  radium  in 
its  natural  state  without  perceptible  loss  to  its  sub- 
stance any  more  than  the  exhalation  of  its  odor 
changes  a  flower.  The  beta  rays  are  negatively 
charged  corpuscles,  about  one  two-thousandth  the 
size  of  those  making  up  the  alpha  rays;  and,  save 
for  their  greater  velocity  —  circa  100,000  miles 


The  All-Pervading  Akasha  79 

a  second  —  are  said  to  exactly  resemble  the  cath- 
ode rays  produced  by  an  electric  discharge  inside 
a  Crooke's  tube. 

The  gamma  rays  are  not  so  well  understood  as 
the  two  others,  but  are  believed  to  be  identical 
with  X-rays.  Are  they  not  the  union  of  the  alpha 
and  beta  rays  after  passing  through  the  Akdshic 
state  forming  a  Tattvic  permutation?  A  spec- 
trum analysis  of  the  rays  should  determine  this. 
The  spectrum  of  every  substance  and  element  re- 
veals its  Tattvic  nature  by  means  of  the  prevalent 
color,  or  colors ;  and  the  greater  the  heat  to  which 
the  matter  is  subjected  the  nearer  it  approaches 
its  solar,  instead  of  terrestrial,  state. 

A 

Akasha  is  well-named  the  "  all-pervading  Tatt- 
va."  In  chemical  changes  of  one  state  of  matter 
into  another,  you  have  been  shown  in  these  illus- 
trations not  only  that  Akasha  intervenes,  but  how 
it  acts;  that  it  is  the  substratum,  or  base  (in  all 
phenomena  or  paradoxes)  which  baffles  the  scien- 
tist. As  in  things  external,  so  it  is  within;  and 
your  observation  of  natural  phenomena  will  aid 
vastly  in  the  understanding  of  your  own  microcosm, 
wherein  the  Tattvic  Law  comes  under  the  influ- 
ence of  your  thoughts  and  will-power,  and  the 
currents  of  Prana  may  thereby  be  thrown  entirely 
out  of  rhythmic  balance. 

In  consequence  of  its  universal  prevalence  nor- 
mally, it  is  not  surprising  to  learn  that  the  excess 


8o       The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

A. 

of  Akdsha  is  disastrous,  and  according  to  the  phase 
of  its  activity  causes  discomfort  or  misfortune. 
Among  the  traits  and  emotions  which  give  evi- 
dence of  this  predominance  or  excess  are  forget- 
<  fulness,  covetousness,  and  obstinacy  (headiness), 
and  blindness  and  unreason  in  matters  concerning 
the  affections.  Emotions  of  repulsion,  shame, 
and  fear  are  due  to  the  same  source;  and  the 
tremor  which  shakes  fear-stricken  people  comes 
from  hollows  in  the  veins  caused  by  Akdshic  vibra- 
tions in  excess.  To  this  effect  is  due  the  physical 
and  mental  tension  which  so  unnerve  the  victim. 

"  The  remedy,"  do  you  ask?  What  is  free  will 
for,  if  not  to  give  us  power  to  choose  our  thoughts 
and  the  deeds  resulting  therefrom?  The  "  bliss  " 
of  ignorance  is  that  we  are  not  to  blame  if  we  do 
not  know  the  error  of  certain  thoughts  and  ac- 
tions. Invariably  we  must  suffer  both  mentally 
and  physically  for  such  error ;  but  only  knowledge, 
bringing  power,  brings  also  responsibility.  Never 
forget  that  it  is  the  form  of  motion  that  causes 
the  state,  and  that  form  can  therefore  change  it. 

A  caution  is  necessary  here:  It  is  impossible 
to  energize  the  nerves  when  they  are  strained  by 
constant  tension.  Paradoxical  as  it  is  these  two 
conditions  are  often  confounded,  but  there  is  a 
marked  distinction  between  tensing  and  energizing 
the  nerves.  The  accepted  theory  of  tension  con- 
sidered mechanically  —  as  of  a  wire  or  rope  —  is 


The  All-Pervading  Akasha  81 

to  put  all  the  strain  upon  it  that  it  will  bear. 
Nerve-  and  muscle-tension  wears  people  tremend- 
ously because  it  is  a  stretching,  straining,  and 
sundering  of  atoms  one  from  another  which  breaks 
down  structure  physiologically.  In  concentration 
of  energy  —  as  in  the  Held-breath  exercise  —  the 
reverse  is  the  condition.  The  atoms  are  com- 
pacted closer  and  closer  together,  and  thrill  with 
the  force  of  unison  and  the  harmony  of  synchron- 
ous motion.  Thus  the  most  delicate  and  finest 
nerve  is  raised  to  the  power  of  a  larger  one;  and 
the  increase  of  energy  throughout  the  nervous  sys- 
tem corresponds. 

Face  every  mental  or  physical  crisis  first,  by  tak- 
ing a  few  deep,  full  inspirations  to  change  the  air 
—  and  thus  the  vibrations,  that  is,  the  form  of 
action — in  the  lungs;  and  follow  this  with  eight 
or  ten  repetitions  of  the  nerve-purifying  and  nerve- 
strengthening  alternate  breathing,  as  directed  in 
Chapter  IV.  While  thus  breathing,  look  within, 
and  seek  that  heart-silence  which  carries  you  to 
the  radiant  center  of  your  being,  and  laps  you  in 
poise  and  confidence. 

You  will  thus  raise  your  vibrations  to  a  higher 
plane,  and  in  doing  this  you  not  only  lift  yourself 
into  a  state  in  sympathy  with  higher  influ- 
ences and  draw  them  to  you,  but  above  condi- 
tions where  unwholesome  vibrations  and  thoughts 
(similar  to  those  you  may  desire  to  expel)  reach 


82        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

you.  You  are  making  for  yourself  a  protecting 
sheath  against  demoralizing  mundane  influences  of 
that  earth,  earthy  character  which  feeds  material- 
ism. Sympathetic  vibrations  are  the  wires  upon 
which  epidemics  spread  from  victim  to  victim,  and 
commonly  that  sympathy  is  fear.  But  courage 
and  confidence  can  be  made  equally  contagious. 
Happy,  courageous  thoughts  draw  the  vibrations 
of  happiness  and  courage;  and,  steadfastly  main- 
tained, will  spread  a  contagion  of  health  and 
happiness  round  about  you. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  SPECIFIC  INFLUENCE  OF  THE  TATTVAS 

IN  the  invariability  of  those  characteristics  of 
every  Tattoo,  which  differentiate  one  from  an- 
other, we  find  the  reason  for  the  force  of  hab- 
its, and  the  clue  to  that  inexorable  law  of  like  seek- 
ing like.     This  law  is  set  forth  in  the  Bible  with 
stern  realism,  appearing  as  so  manifest  an  injus- 
tice that  to  many  souls  it  is  a  hopeless  stumbling 
block. 

What  are  habits?  The  established  periodicity 
of  a  certain  vibration,  or  vibrations;  for  all  forces 
in  nature  by  an  inherent  law  of  their  being,  come 
back  to  their  source.  This  tendency  in  atom, 
molecule,  and  cell  to  repetition  of  motion  is  due 
to  the  unvarying  law  of  rhythm.  All  examina- 
tions of  molecules  prove  that  their  movements 
are  periodical,  and  when  normal  rhythmical.  All 
life  is  a  matter  of  vibration,  every  act,  every 
thought,  is  a  Tattvic  vibration, —  and  once  a  given 
vibration  has  occurred,  not  only  is  it  apt  to  recur, 
come  back  to  its  source,  but  every  repetition  in- 
creases that  liability  and  its  facility  of  action,  be- 
cause, it  cuts  deeper  its  channel  through  the 


84        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

directing  brain  or  nerve  substance.  The  great 
law  of  rhythm  is  the  director,  incentive,  or  cause 
of  all  automatisms.  For  this  reason,  also,  con- 
sonance of  action  draws  similar  vibrations  to- 
gether. The  way  is  made  and  invites  that  vibra- 
tion. 

Thus,  on  the  mental  plane,  similar  thoughts 
flash  from  one  receptive  mind  to  another  as  the 
needle  is  drawn  to  a  magnet.  On  the  gross  ma- 
terial plane,  water  mingles  with  water,  oil  with 
oil;  and  every  one  knows  how  all  tangible  things 
of  like  nature  are  drawn  together,  and  similar 
events  occur  in  groups  whether  they  be  tragedies 
or  festivals.  But  knowledge  of  the  underlying 
cause  puts  in  our  hands  a  weapon  of  defence 
against  the  seeming  cruelty  and  hardship  of  this 
law.  We  must  ban  the  thoughts  which  cut  the 
channels  for  unfavorable  vibrations,  and  avoid  the 
deeds  which  deepen  and  make  more  permanent 
their  impression. 

Ignorance  is  described  in  Sanskrit  as  darkness 
—  called  Avidyd  —  and  is  considered  a  very  dark 
state  of  Akasha.  The  gross  vibrations  have  be- 
come "  set,"  as  it  were,  through  the  non-reception 
of  other  vibrations  —  meaning  fresh  ideas;  and 
as  the  victim  of  mental  inactivity  grows  older  this 
Avidya  (uh-veed-yah)  state  renders  it  ever  harder 
to  make  an  impression  upon  such  a  brain.  Every 
new  thought  makes  a  new  channel  in  the  brain, 


The  Influence  of  the  Tattvas  8$ 

which  explains  the  high  average  of  conservatism 
in  the  human  race.  People  are  prone  to  follow 
ruts;  it  is  harder  to  make  new  roads,  which  is 
evidenced  in  our  idiomatic  expression,  "  to  break 
a  road."  The  fewer  channels  there  have  been  in 
a  brain  the  less  yielding  is  the  substance  —  "  dark- 
ness "  well  describes  it  —  and  the  more  difficult  it 
is  to  penetrate  it  with  new  ideas  which  must  thread 
their  way  through.  Swami  Vivekananda  ex- 
pressed this  in  a  graphic  figure  of  speech : 

"  The  more  thoughtful  the  man  the  more  com- 
plicated will  be  the  streets  in  his  brain,  and  the 
more  easily  he  will  take  to  new  ideas,  and  under- 
stand them."  It  is  not  the  mere  bulk  of  a  brain 
but  the  character  of  its  cells,  its  atomic  structure, 
that  makes  the  intellectual  giant. 

This  follows  the  law  of  the  whole  physical 
economy,  that  parts  or  organs  which  are  kept  in 
a  state  of  activity  are  more  pliable  and  respond  to 
unusual  demands  upon  their  strength  or  endurance 
exactly  in  the  measure  that  they  have  been  exer- 
cised. Nothing  in  the  universe  is  in  a  state  of  per- 
manence or  stands  still  as  it  were.  Everything  is 
either  improving,  building  up,  or  disintegrating; 
and  the  atoms  in  our  bodies  follow  the  Tattvic 
laws  of  universal  motion. 

But,  never  forget,  you  are  free  to  choose  what 
the  motion  shall  be;  whether  harmonious,  build- 
ing up,  or  discordant,  which  is  disintegrating. 


B6       The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

For  the  physiological  plane  is  a  reflection  of  the 
mental  plane,  and  your  own  thoughts  can  be  made 
paramount  in  influence,  protecting  the  body  from 
unfavorable  vibrations  which  otherwise  would  find 
entrance.  So  all-pervading,  so  deep-lying  is  this 
law  of  like  seeking  like  that  we  gain  in  health  as 
we  promote  the  health  of  others;  and  our  happi- 
ness is  increased  in  the  direct  ratio  that  we  make 
others  happy.  That  is  the  line  of  least  resistance; 
arid  the  easiest  way  to  win  all  benefits,  guerdons, 
or  material  success  whatsoever,  is  to  seek  those 
blessings  for  others. 

The  mind  which  is  stirred  to  emotional  excite- 
ment by  the  trifling  annoyances  and  perplexities  of 
the  average  daily  life,  plunging  into  wordy  con- 
flicts upon  the  slightest  provocation,  is  wooing 
every  and  any  physical  disorder,  makes  rhythmic 
harmony  of  physical  functions  impossible,  and  in- 
vites the  disturbance  of  the  Tejas  Tattva, —  a 
most  dangerous  vibration  when  thrown  out  of  bal- 
ance, disturbing  its  legitimate  functions.  Every 
reaction  in  the  form  of  hatred  or  evil  —  even  re- 
pugnance of  the  intense  sort,  the  deep  revulsions 
that  stir  up  whirlpools  of  emotion  —  disturbs  the 
balance  of  Tejas  and  weakens  the  mind,  exposing 
it  to  be  more  easily  stirred;  for  every  unhappy 
thought  is  responded  to  by  an  unhappy,  disordered 
vibration.  We  contribute  our  mite  towards  uni- 
versal harmony  by  cultivating  indifference  to 


The  Influence  of  the  Tattvas  87 

evils  which  we  have  no  power  to  remedy  or  alle- 
viate. Every  manifestation  of  control  in  such 
cases,  by  which  we  retain  our  poise  and,  therefore, 
our  judgment,  also  strengthens  the  mind  and  in- 
creases our  power.  The  energy  thus  gained  and 
stored  is  converted  to  a  higher  power. 

Tantrik  philosophy  explains  minutely  the  effect 
of  the  different  Tattvas  upon  human  life,  health, 
and  happiness,  prophesying  good  or  bad  fortune 
for  many  of  the  habitual  acts  of  daily  life,  ac- 
cording as  they  are  performed  with  one  or  the 
other  current  of  Prdna,  or  during  the  prevalence 
of  certain  Tattvas.  While  some  of  this  detail  is 
more  curious  than  practical,  and  part  of  it  is  obso- 
lete, not  applying  to  conventions  of  modern  life, 
there  is  much  that  is  fundamental;  much  which 
can  be  proved  in  many  experiences;  and  is  con- 
stantly corroborated  in  every  system  of  mental 
therapeutics. 

The  all-pervading  Akdsha  has  centers  of  dom- 
inant influence  in  the  brain  and  ears;  and  there  are 
periods  when  it  is  prevalent  in  the  throat,  spine, 
heart,  and  anus.  Always  active  in  the  exercise  of 
thought,  and  becoming  predominant  during  in- 
tense mental  application  and  in  meditation,  brood- 
ing and  melancholy  induce  its  excess,  and,  in  con- 
sequence, affect  the  general  health.  Knowing 
this,  we  must  utilize  the  normal  and  fortunate 

.2 

powers  of  Akdsha,  and  inhibit  its  malefic  influences 


88        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

by  changing  our  vibrations  when  they  manifest 
their  presence. 

The  natural  corrective  of  happy  thoughts  is 
beneficent  because  they  encourage  the  flow  of 
Prithivi, —  the  extreme  of  the  Tattvic  scale  from 
Akdsha.  Not  rose-colored  spectacles  but  yellow 
ones  should  be  given  to  people  addicted  "  to  the 
blues,"  and  they  should  be  kept  in  the  sunshine 
when  possible  and  be  surrounded  by  floods  of 
golden  light,  living  in  yellow-hung  rooms.  Hy- 
steria and  lunacy  indicate  the  disastrous  prepon- 
derance of  Akdsha  and  call  for  the  yellow  treat- 
ment, and  every  influence  possible  that  will  reduce 
the  Akdshic  vibrations  to  their  lowest  normal  flow. 
The  consideration  of  Prithivi,  which  must  come  in 
its  natural  sequence  will  develop  more  details. 

Remember  that  as  the  foreshadower  of  every 
other  Tattva  all  possibilities  can  be  developed 
from  the  Akdsha.  That  is  the  form  of  its  mental 
prevalence.  It  is  for  us  to  choose  the  ingredients 
and  do  the  mixing!  It  is  the  stagnation  and  mis- 
use of  Akdsha  which  are  to  be  shunned.  The 
.  taste  of  Akdsha  is  said  to  be  bitter,  but  I  believe 
»  it  can  also  be  proved  to  be  salt.  It  is  the  light- 
est of  the  Tattvas.  Taking  ten  as  the  unit  of 
Akdsha,  they  increase  in  weight  by  ten  in  natural 
order  from  Vdyu  twenty  to  Prithivi  fifty. 

Vdyu  is  only  less  unfortunate  when  excessively 
predominant  than  Akdsha;  and,  as  their  relations 


The  Influence  of  the  Tattvas  89 

are  close,  the  presence  of  one  in  excess  indicates  a 
preponderance  of  the  other,  or  is  apt  to  be  ac- 
companied by  it.  In  speaking  of  the  manifesta- 
tions of  Fdyu  or  its  centers  of  dominant  influence, 
the  reader  is  cautioned  against  confounding  the 
Fdyu  Tattva  with  another  Sanskrit  use  of  the  word 
which  has  entirely  misled  some  students.  The 
word  is  derived  from  the  root  va,  to  move,  and 
signifies  a  motive-power.  Certain  organic  func- 
tions of  the  body,  which  are  considered  as  so 
many  manifestations  of  Prdna,  are  generically 
called  Fdyus,  though  having  specific  names.  In 
this  sense,  Fdyus  are  nothing  more  than  forces  of 
Prdna;  or  it  would  be  clearer  to  say  they  are  evi- 
dences of  Prdnlc  power.  In  only  one  of  these  so- 
called  "  Fdyus  " —  the  function  of  breathing  — 
is  the  Fdyu  Tattva  prevalent.  To  avoid  confu- 
sion, I  shall  restrict  the  use  of  the  word  to  its 
Tattvlc  sense.  It  is  much  clearer  to  know  these 
manifestations  of  Prdna  by  their  specific  names, 
when  we  come  to  them. 

You  have  learned  that  the  sense  of  touch  is 
stimulated  by  the  Fdyu  Tattva,  and  that  a  specific 
field  of  its  gross  activities  is  to  furnish  the  thin, 
elastic  sheath-garment  that  protects  the  sensitive 
flesh, —  the  skin  of  the  body.  The  two  phases, 
positive  and  negative,  of  Fdyu,  form  the  positive 
and  the  negative  skin,  each  of  which  has  five  lay- 
ers in  which  the  other  Tattvas  mingle,  one  after 


90       The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

the  other,  with  the  Fdyu,  and  disclose  their  in- 
fluence by  the  modifications  in  the  forms  of  the 
cells.  An  illustration  of  a  magnified  section  of 
skin  betrays  all  these  Tattvic  activities  in  oblong, 
squared,  and  triangulated  spheres  and  dotted  cir- 
cles. In  a  single  layer  of  the  cuticle,  it  is  com- 
puted there  are  a  billion  scale-like  cells  to  the 
square  inch. 

Every  movement  of  the  body  is  a  manifesta- 
tion of  Fdyu,  and  acts  of  levitation  are  exhibitions 
of  supreme  mastery  of  this  Tattva.  It  is  more 
than  probable  that  it  is  an  excess  of  Fdyu  which 
gives  people  sometimes  in  dreams  the  sensation  of 
flying;  and  deep  breathing  when  walking  almost 
literally  gives  wings  to  the  feet,  so  lithe  and  buoy- 
ant does  it  make  the  body. 

Fdyu  has  an  acid  taste,  and  the  acidity  of  the 
stomach  which  accompanies  most  gastric  disturb- 
ances is  unmistakable  proof  that  this  Tattva  is 
flowing  in  excess.  All  the  exercises  in  alternate 
breathing,  and  the  Held-breath  especially,  are  of 
great  benefit  in  all  gastric  disorders;  and  I  know 
of  nothing  else  that  can  give  so  speedy  relief  to 
intense  suffering  in  acute  attacks.  Four  or  five 
repetitions  of  the  Held-breath  exercise  are  suffi- 
cient at  one  practice,  but  the  intervals  of  practice 
may  be  every  hour  if  the  need  be  urgent.  Do  not 
confound  Prdndydma  with  the  exercise;  that  is, 
do  not  say  you  take  a  Prdndydma.  You  take  an 


The  Influence  of  the  Tattvas  91 

exercise  —  the  Held-breath  —  to  acquire  Prdndy- 
dma  —  the  control  of  Prdna.  Always  clear 
speaking  promotes  clear  thinking  and  facile  doing. 

You  will  understand  now  that  it  is  the  law  of 
periodicity  which  makes  it  so  important  that 
periods  of  practice,  both  for  the  breathing  exer- 
cises and  for  concentration  be  observed  regularly; 
that  is,  at  as  nearly  the  same  hour  every  day  as 
possible.  Regularity  in  this  greatly  promotes  the 
harmony  and  ease  of  the  doing,  and  increases  the 
benefits  proportionally.  No  ordinary  interrup- 
tions should  be  permitted  to  interfere  with  this, 
especially  during  the  first  months  of  practice. 

The  attitude  of  mental  serenity  gained  in  med- 
itation upon  the  Higher  Self,  when  we  come  into 
a  consciousness  of  inward  power  from  our  union 
with  the  great  Central  Dynamo  of  life  itself,  gives 
us  a  physical  poise  which  is  invaluable  in  meeting 
the  vicissitudes  of  daily  activities  and  lessens  the 
friction  beyond  compare.  And  the  benefit  is  not 
merely  personal.  The  serenity  and  physical  har- 
mony of  one  such  well-poised  person  will  impart 
its  benison  to  a  whole  group. 


CHAPTER  IX 

TATTVIC  INFLUENCES:  TEJAS,  THE  FIRE  OF  LIFE 

IT  is  only  natural  and  in  perfect  accord  with 
the  harmony  which  we  observe  throughout 
nature  that  the  Tattva  which  puts  us  in  hap- 
piest relations  with  the  universe  while  we  live  on 
the  terrestrial  plane  is  the  earth  element,  or 
Prithivi.  Moreover,  the  fortunate  influences  of 
the  Tattvas  upon  mundane  life,  decrease,  ac- 
cording to  Tantrik  philosophy,  in  exact  ratio  to 
their  remoteness  from  the  terrestrial  element; 
and  the  lower  triplicity  —  Prithivi,  Apas,  and 
Tejas  —  work  together  with  paramount  influence 
upon  human  life  —  for  good  when  harmoniously 
balanced,  and  for  untold  evil  when  misused.  And 
this  influence  is  not  alone  upon  the  gross  plane  in 
perfecting  the  physical  body  and  maintaining  the 
equability  and  harmonious  functioning  of  all  its 
organs,  but  also  in  subtler  ways  through  the  great 
sympathetic  nervous  system,  which  is  the  connect- 
ing link  with  exterior  vibrations. 

We  are  constantly  lapped  in  an  ocean  of  life- 
giving  Prana  flowing  in  full  currents  of  rhythmic 
harmony  from  its  solar  center;  but  in  diseased 

92 


Tejas,  the  Fire  of  Life  93 

physical  conditions,  these  currents  are  beaten  back, 
deflected  as  it  were,  by  the  antagonistic  repulsion 
of  the  discordant  vibrations  holding  sway  over 
the  body  and  surrounding  it  with  their  unwhole- 
some atmosphere.  Thus,  the  Universe  of  mat- 
ter, to  our  vision  unmanifested,  surrounds  us. 
We  choose  from  it  what  we  will! 

If  we  desire  harmony  and  poise,  we  must  think 
of  harmony  and  poise,  for  such  vibrations  do  not 
impinge  upon  either  physical  or  mental  states  of 
heat  and  excitement  or  depression  and  worry. 

Here  is  the  place  to  protest  emphatically  against 
the  false  logic  which  argues  that  there  is  no  deep 
feeling,  no  earnestness,  unless  it  expresses  itself 
with  passion  and  excitement,  and  defends  the 
strenuous  life  as  the  only  progressive  life  of  deeds 
and  accomplishment.  At  this  particular  epoch  of 
racial  evolution,  especially  as  expressed  in  Ameri- 
can life,  the  influence  of  this  sophistical  denuncia- 
tion of  the  good,  the  true,  and  the  beautiful  in  de- 
fence of  the  bad,  the  wrong,  and  the  hideous  is  de- 
plorable. The  intemperance  of  living  which  it  ad- 
vocates and  extols  is  a  national  menace,  for  it  af- 
fects men  and  women  mentally  and  morally  as 
well  as  physically;  and  characters  deteriorate  even 
faster  than  physiques  under  the  iniquitous  strain 
after  success  at  any  cost. 

You  will  learn  in  this  study  of  self-develop- 
ment —  that  is,  soul  growth  —  through  self-con- 


94       The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

trol  that  all  great  forces,  working  harmoniously  to 
a  given  end,  come  out  of  the  silence ;  just  as  Admiral 
Togo's  fleet  sailed  out  of  the  silent  mist  on  that 
memorable  May  morning  in  the  Tsushima  Straits, 
and  gave  such  an  exhibition  of  conserved  power 
as  the  world  never  before  witnessed.  All  that 
this  wonderful  self-contained  nation,  Dai  Nippon, 
has  accomplished  is  an  object-lesson  of  superbly 
controlled  force.  She  is  unlikely  to  fulfill  any  of 
the  dire  Western  prophecies  of  "  yellow  peril  " — 
fear  of  which  exists  only  in  the  strenuous  imagin- 
ations that  picture  the  possibilities  of  power  mis- 
used —  for  Nippon's  samurai  spirit  is  not  preda- 
tory. 

Those  who  understand  how  deeply  bushido  in- 
fluences the  national  life  realize  that  Japan  has  in 
this  word  not  merely  enlarged  the  universal  vocab- 
ulary of  expressive,  high-thought  symbols,  but 
that  she  has  given  to  the  world  an  exalted,  ethical 
standard  of  character.  Bushido,  "  the  Soul  of 
Nippon,"  implies  the  spirit  of  discipline  and  sacri- 
fice, of  gentleness  and  firmness,  of  honor  and  in- 
tegrity, of  heroic  endurance  and  chivalry.  All 
that  the  Western  world  can  teach  Japan  of  ma- 
terial progress  is  elevated  and  transmuted  through 
bushido  into  something  which  the  average  West- 
ern mind  —  the  commercial,  How-much-can-you- 
get-f or-it  ?  mind  —  cannot  comprehend ;  in  which, 
therefore,  danger  is  scented. 


Tejas,  the  Fire  of  Life  95 

But  the  whole  secret  is  that  the  Nipponese  have 
never  lost  touch  with  Nature.  They  have  kept 
close  to  the  soul  of  things,  to  the  heart  of  the  uni- 
verse, with  senses  trained  to  consciousness  of  the 
nearness  of  the  spiritual  plane,  which  the  Western 
people  have  blindly  ignored,  when  not  denied,  in 
their  head-long  pursuit  of  things  material.  Ja- 
pan's own  peril  is  only  from  those  of  her  people 
who  imitate  too  closely  Western  commercial  meth- 
ods, forgetting  the  traditions  of  the  past,  or  never 
themselves  trained  in  them. 

We  who  have  worked  so  hard  and  made  such 
tremendous  sacrifices  of  the  best  things,  the  real 
prizes  in  life,  pursuing  wrong  roads  leading  to 
precipices  or  blind  alleys  and  forming  wrong  hab- 
its of  thinking  and  doing,  must  now  go  into  the 
silence  to  find  our  moral  as  well  as  physical  equili- 
brium; to  discover  the  right  path  leading  to  ra- 
tional living  and  thinking  and  the  forming  of  nor- 
mal, harmonious  habits. 

It  is  in  the  stillness  that  we  give  the  rhythmic 
breath  of  life  (ever  offering  its  healing  restora- 
tive power)  an  opportunity  to  overcome  the  an- 
tagonistic, disordered  vibrations  in  our  bodies, 
and  draw  into  synchronous  movement  —  that  is, 
vibration  —  all  the  rebellious  atoms  and  molecules 
which  have  been  setting  up  independent  republics, 
all  warring  against  one  another.  The  state  we 
woo  is  inward  and  individual,  and  not  dependent 


96       The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

upon  exterior  silence  although  aided  by  it.  As  the 
delicious  calm  of  this  stillness  in  which  we  try  to 
enwrap  ourselves  makes  its  presence  felt,  a  poise 
and  serenity  flows  over  and  through  us,  penetrat- 
ing every  fiber  of  our  beings  and  restoring  confi- 
dence and  power;  but  few,  even  when  rejoicing  in 
this  new-found  strength,  attempt  to  analyze  its 
source.  It  is  the  magnetism  generated  by  the 
rhythmic  current  of  Prana,  which,  sweeping 
through  every  channel,  imparts  corresponding  mo- 
tion to  every  atom,  as  a  great  tidal  stream  sweeps 
through  its  estuaries  with  irresistible  force,  carry- 
ing all  obstructions  before  it,  and  compels  every 
molecule  of  water  to  flow  in  the  same  direction. 

The  rhythmic  current  of  Prdna  coming  under 
the  control  of  the  soul-centered  will  thus  affects 
for  good  the  whole  being.  When  practicing  the 
breathing  exercises  and  endeavoring  to  concentrate 
the  mind  upon  a  given  center  or  subject  causes  phy- 
sical disturbance,  it  is  because  this  control  has  not 
been  gained.  The  disturbance  is  open  revolt 
against  control  and  order.  Not  struggling  but 
letting-go  is  necessary.  Retire  to  the  silence  of 
the  soul  on  the  heights  of  your  being,  and  reflect 
its  calm  upon  the  mind.  Downward,  to  those 
rebellious  physical  atoms  the  reflection  must  pass 
on.  It  is  the  unchangeable  law.  The  rhythmic 
word  or  affirmation  is  at  such  times  most  helpful. 
There  is  a  monitor  within  who  quickly  takes  cog- 


Tejai,  the  Fire  of  Life  97 

nizance  of  the  accent  and  establishes  the  rhythm, 
so  that  you  feel  every  group  when  it  is  complete. 
This  holds  attention  and  prevents  the  exercise  from 
becoming  mechanical,  in  which  state  the  benefit  is 
greatly  lessened. 

The  figure  of  man,  standing  with  outstretched 
arms,  epitomizes  from  his  crown  to  his  toes  pre- 
dominant Tattvic  influences  in  the  exact  order  of 
their  evolution.  Akdsha  is  prevalent  in  the  head 
which  is  raised  heavenward.  Out  of  this  Akdshic 
bowl  of  mentality  comes  whatever  of  good  or  evil 
our  consciousness  mixes  there,  to  be  reflected  upon 
the  physical  plane,  and  affect  for  weal  or  woe  our- 
selves and  our  fellows;  for  none  can  live  to  him- 
self alone.  Fdyu  has  its  keenest  vibrations  in  those 
extended  fingers;  Tejas  is  extremely  active 
throughout  the  torso,  and  has  more  centers  of  dom- 
inant influence  there  than  any  other  Tattva;  Apas  is 
influential  in  the  knees;  and  Prithivi,  predominat- 
ing in  the  soles  of  the  feet,  maintains  man's  gravity 
as  his  feet  press  Mother  Earth  and  meet  her  sym- 
pathetic vibrations. 

A  deep  significance  is  here.  The  living  man  is 
the  live  cross.  It  should  not  need  historical  proof 
that  the  cross  is  the  most  ancient  of  symbols  —  its 
origin  lost  in  the  mists  of  antiquity  —  to  convince 
us  that  like  all  symbology  it  originally  expressed 
the  recognition  of  the  Truth  of  Being.  That  is, 
the  dual  Principle  —  Spirit-matter,  positive-nega- 


98        The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

tive  —  and  the  elemental  forces  evolved  therefrom, 
which  involved  the  submergence  of  the  Spirit,  and 
out  of  which  the  Soul  must  be  evolved.  And  just 
as  the  Spirit  in  order  to  manifest  laid  Itself  upon 
the  cross  (the  first  sacrifice),  the  "  spark  "  of  spirit- 
ual fire  radiating  from  center  to  circumference, 
thereby  limiting  Itself  to  the  sphere,  so  the  soul  cen- 
ter of  man  is  at  the  intersection  of  the  cross  just 
between  the  shoulders,  where  Angel's  wings  are 
always  indicated;  and  whether  there  be  winged 
angels  in  very  fact  matters  not  the  least.  They 
symbolize  the  flight  of  the  soul  when  it  recognizes 
its  own  power  and  freedom. 

The  intimate  relations  of  Tejas  with  the  vital 
organs,  so  compactly  fitting  the  one  to  the  other 
in  the  torso,  makes  the  rhythmic  flow  of  this  Tattva 
in  its  divinely  assigned  proportions  of  paramount 
importance  to  both  health  and  happiness.  Not 
only  does  it  maintain  the  normal  heat  of  the  body, 
with  centers  of  great  activity  in  the  sacral  and  solar 
plexuses  and  between  the  shoulders,  but  it  presides 
over  digestion  and  distributes  the  renewing  nutrient 
juices  throughout  the  system.  In  disturbed  condi- 
tions it  destroys  its  own  work.  The  positive  phase 
of  Tejas  is  manifested  in  the  stomach  and  its  neg- 
ative phase  in  the  duodenum.  Its  prevalence  in 
digestion  explains  the  close  sympathy  between  the 
stomach  and  brain ;  for  as  Tejas  stimulates  the  optic 
nerves,  it  has  at  all  times  a  strong  influence  upon 


Tejas,  the  Fire  of  Life  99 

thoughts,  and  correspondingly  suffers' as  strong  a 
re-action  from  them.  Indeed,  no  other  Tattva  is 
so  quickly  affected  by  every  mental  disturbance. 

The  Hindu  god  of  fire  —  that  is,  the  power  or 
force  in  this  element,  the  luminiferous  ether  —  is 
called  "  Agni,"  and  this  word  is  frequently  used  in- 
terchangeably with  Tejas  to  signify  the  same  ele- 
ment; though,  in  some  of  the  Upanishads  the  dis- 
tinction is  made  of  naming  heat  or  fire  "  Agni," 
and  light  "  Tejas."  The  god  "  Agni "  is  repre- 
sented with  seven  tongues,  which  of  course  symbol- 
ize the  seven  permutations  of  the  Tattva.  There 
are  many  references  in  the  Upanishads  to  Agni  as 
"  the  fire  within  by  which  the  foods  are  cooked." 
The  student  is  bade  to  stop  his  ears  and  meditate 
upon  the  throbbing  he  hears  within  which  he  should 
recognize  as  the  noise  of  Agni's  activity;  and  also 
as  tangible  proof  of  the  life  and  light  within  which 
are  one  with  the  Spirit  Divine,  in  very  truth,  not 
figuratively,  omnipresent.  On  the  approach  of 
death  this  inward  noise  ceases.  The  forces  of  life 
are  withdrawing. 

Agni  is  the  name  of  various  plants,  among  them 
Citrus  acidus  (lemon)  and  Plumbago  Zeylanica, 
a  member  of  the  leadwort  family.  Other  plants 
are  called  "  Tejas;  "  among  them  several  scarlet- 
flowered  ones;  and  were  we  to  make  a  careful  ex- 
amination of  these  plants  we  should  doubtless  find 
they  all  possess  some  pungent  or  heating  property. 


ioo      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

The  fibrous  aril  of  the  nutmeg,  known  to  com- 
merce as  "  mace,"  betrays  in  its  red  color  and  its 
fiery  pungency  its  affinity  with  Tejas,  the  taste  of 
which  is  pungent.  Tejas  is  closely  associated  with 
minerals,  and  during  its  flow,  according  to  Tattvic 
philosophy,  the  thought  of  minerals  and  quadru- 
peds rises  in  the  mind.  Gastric  juices,  lymph, 
bile,  and  marrow  are  in  Sanskrit  called  either 
"  agni "  or  "  tejas."  When  people  are  "  cold  to 
the  marrow  of  their  bones,"  something  is  wrong 
with  Tejas. 

In  all  hot  disputes  and  excitement  Tejas  vibra- 
tions are  disordered  and  increased;  and  in  excess  it 
becomes  the  instigator  of  the  most  diabolic  crimes, 
blindfolding  reason  and  shackling  self-control.  In 
Sanskrit,  impatience  and  inability  to  put  up  with 
inconvenience  (general  cantankerousness  as  it  were) 
are  called  "  tejas."  The  word  identifies  the  sharp 
edge  of  a  knife,  as  also  the  point  of  a  flame;  and  all 
brilliant,  dazzling,  glowing,  flaring  things  are 
known  as  tejas. 

I  believe  the  Tejas  Tattva  to  be  the  chief  force 
employed  in  all  intense,  effective,  organizing 
thought;  and  also  the  space-annihilating  vibration 
which  is  the  mysterious  agent  in  thought  transfer- 
ence, and  which  transports  us  mentally  from  New 
York  to  Tokyo  at  a  speed  that  leaves  Puck  a  lag- 
gard. This  conjecture  is  corroborated  by  the  fact 
that  the  Sanskrit  name  for  the  brain  is  tejas.  The 


Tejas,  the  Fire  of  Life  IOI« 

concentration  in  the  brain  of  this  radiant,  disinte- 
grating and  transforming  force  in  a  state  of  great 
activity  would  account  for  the  vast  discrepancy 
between  the  fatigue  effects  of  mental  and  physical 
exertion.  It  is  well  known  that  the  breaking  down 
of  tissue  in  the  brain  during  intense  application  is 
so  rapid  that  three  hours  of  brainwork  is  as  great 
a  drain  upon  the  physical  forces  as  a  whole  day  of 
manual  labor. 

A  logical  diagnosis  of  rheumatism  by  the  Tatt- 
vic  law  explains  its  cause  as  an  excess  of  Fdyu  and 
a  decrease  of  Apas  vibrations  causing  extreme  acid- 
ity of  all  the  secretions  and  excretions  of  the  body. 
The  intense  suffering  in  the  bony  structure  arises 
from  the  pressure  upon  these  vibrations  of  the  co- 
hesive Prithivi  Tattva;  and  the  relief  which  hot 
baths  and  inunctions  of  pungent  oils  afford  is  due 
to  the  expansion  of  the  luminiferous  ether,  the  flow 
of  Tejas  being  thus  accelerated  and  encouraged. 

An  increased  flow  of  A  pas  naturally  follows,  and 
this  water  vibration  dilutes  and  washes  away  the 
acid  impurities  whose  clogging  wastes  have  choked 
channels. 

For  some  years  before  radium  was  discovered, 
the  miners  working  in  large  Montana  mines  were 
familiar  with  a  strange  mineral  which  they  were 
positive  possessed  curative  properties.  They 
called  it  "  Medicine  ore  "  and  "  rheumatism  rock;  " 
and  they  carried  bits  of  it  in  their  pockets  belie v- 


The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  BreatK 

ing  it  a  positive  cure  for  kidney  and  stomach  troub- 
les, "  miner's  consumption,"  rheumatism,  and  some 
nervous  disorders.  The  mineral  emits  phosphores- 
cent light  under  slight  friction,  but  there  is  abso- 
lutely no  perceptible  heat  in  it,  and  the  radiance  is 
most  brilliant  under  water. 

When  radium  was  discovered,  it  occurred  to 
one  of  the  miners  that  the  "  rheumatism  rock " 
might  contain  the  rare  new  element,  and  he  induced 
some  Butte  chemists  to  examine  it.  Careful  tests 
and  analysis  disclosed  a  trace  of  radio-activity,  and 
the  mineral  has  been  named  "  radiumite;  "  but  no 
one  can  account  for  its  strange  medicinal  virtues, 
which  have  been  substantiated  by  many  experiments 
under  close  observation  of  a  prominent  Butte  physi- 
sian.  It  is  of  course  an  igneous  rock  aglow  with 
subtle  Tejas  vibrations,  which  explains  clearly  and 
scientifically  its  magical  curative  and  invigorating 
properties.  To  the  underground  worker  especially 
is  it  a  blessed  boon,  supplying  him  with  the  life  ele- 
ment of  which  his  deprivation  of  sunshine  and 
light  robs  him. 

You  see  it  is  of  vast  importance  to  human  well- 
being  that  the  balance  of  the  Tattvas  be  main- 
tained, and  this  is  the  remedial  office  of  alternate 
breathing. 

It  is  sometimes  very  helpful  in  crises  of  great 
fatigue  and  exhaustion  following  strenuous  exer- 
tion, to  take  several  full  deep  negative  breaths  — 


Tejas,  the  Fire  of  Life  103 

inhalations  through  left  nostril  —  exhaling  all 
through  right  nostril.  Hold  the  breath  in  and 
out  while  you  count  nine,  and  increase  this  count 
as  control  is  gained ;  but  never  do  it  to  the  point  of 

least  strain  or  discomfort.     Take  the  exercise  lying/ 

i 
prone  upon  the  back,  perfectly  relaxed,  or  when 

walking  in  the  open  air. 


CHAPTER  X 

HAPPINESS  VIBRATIONS :      APAS  AND  PRITHIVI 

THE  Tattvic  Law  of  the  Universe,  under- 
stood and  applied  in  daily  life  and 
thought,  makes  living  under  the  old  re- 
gime of  blind  submission  to  unknown  forces,  gener- 
ally believed  to  be  malefic  and  always  endangering 
health,  an  utter  impossibility, —  really  unthinkable. 
And  the  application  of  the  Law  leads  one  to  spirit- 
ual living  by  as  direct  a  course  as  the  flight  of  a 
homing  pigeon.  This  radical  change  of  thought 
is  a  regeneration,  but  concerning  the  transition, 
there  are  several  things  to  be  considered. 

In  this  pouring  of  the  new  wine  of  Higher 
Thought,  or  Spiritual  consciousness,  which  is  the 
only  real  life,  into  the  old  bottles  of  disordered 
bodies,  the  only  trouble  arises  from  failure  to 
cleanse  the  bottles  properly.  Progress  will  be  de- 
layed as  long  as  impurities  of  any  sort  are  permit- 
ted to  pollute  "  The  temple  of  the  Living  God."  i 

There  are  many  kinds  of  pollution,  and  some  of 
the  most  insidious  society  smiles  upon  as  pleasures. 
Gormandizing,  dissipation  and  excesses  of  any  sort 
which  recklessly  exhaust  nerve  strength,  and  pick- 

104 


Happiness  Vibrations  105 

ling  the  body  with  nicotine  till  the  stale,  rank  odor 
oozes  from  its  pores,  are  of  these;  and  habits  which 
thus  ignore  the  body's  need  of  order,  cleanliness, 
and  purity  within  as  without  must  be  changed  be- 
fore the  "  old  bottle  "  is  fit  for  the  new  wine.  It  is 
a  fatal  mistake  to  belittle  the  body,  for  it  is  only 
when  we  have,  through  considering  its  needs  ration- 
ally, moulded  it  into  a  wholesome,  perfect  body 
that  we  can  forget  it  and  make  of  it  the  perfect  in- 
strument for  the  soul's  activities  for  which  it  was 
divinely  destined. 

When  consciousness,  in  thraldom  to  the  senses, 
is  tossed  hither  and  yon  by  fear  and  anxiety 
concerning  the  painful  phenomena  of  physical  dis- 
turbances, the  soul  is  a  prisoner  in  the  darkest 
corner  of  the  basement,  and  is  powerless  to  exer- 
cise control, —  it  is  reduced  to  the  lowest  servitude. 
But  with  recognition  of  the  real  status  of  the  soul 
the  physical  conquest  is  more  than  half-achieved. 
There  need  be  no  ordeal  of  purification  when  the 
soul  rules;  no  struggle  of  contending  forces  in  the 
physiological  chemistry;  for  as  darkness  is  dissi- 
pated by  light  so  there  can  be  neither  impurities 
nor  discord  when  the  soul  turns  on  the  spiritual  cur- 
rent. When  there  is  painful  physical  conflict,  it 
is  a  reflection  of  the  mental  state, —  a  half-hearted- 
ness  and  wavering  of  faith  and  confidence  from 
failure  to  comprehend  the  great  truths  involved, 
and  hence  inability  to  develop  the  latent  soul-force. 


io6      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

The  temptation  to  indulge  in  those  pleasures  of 
the  senses  which  are  physically  injurious  loses  its 
fascination  and  is  seen  in  its  true  light  when  the 
soul  wakes  to  its  real  duty  and  the  consciousness  of 
its  glorious  power.  This  is  the  secret  of  the  won- 
derful hypnotic  influence  that  "  cures  "  the  desper- 
ately ill,  and  releases  youth  from  thraldom  to  petty 
vices  that  have  enchained  the  will  and  threaten  to 
wreck  the  moral  being.  By  hypnotic  suggestion 
the  soul  is  roused  to  consciousness  of  its  power  and 
duty,  and  the  soul  itself  works  the  miracle. 

Moreover,  the  soul  is  receptive  to  suggestion  in 
natural  as  in  hypnotic  sleep,  for  it  is  then  released 
from  the  delusions  and  illusions  of  the  senses,  and 
is  itself  in  touch  with  higher  influences ;  consciously, 
when  its  aspirations  lead  it  thitherward,  but  under 
any  and  all  circumstances  more  accessible  to  them. 
It  is  not,  perhaps,  generally  recognized  that  "  the 
night  time  of  the  body  is  the  day-time  of  the  soul," 
which  was  the  creed  of  lamblichus,  leader  of  the 
Neoplatonists.  This  is  the  divine  opportunity  for 
soul  growth  —  the  saving  provision  or  means  by 
which  God  retains  at  least  a  faint  hold  upon  even 
,the  most  wayward  of  His  children.  It  explains, 
also,  the  inestimable  value  of  the  quiet  period  of 
introspection  and  uplifting  thought  which  should 
precede  the  laying  of  the  head  upon  the  pillow  for 
the  night's  rest.  Incalculable  harm  is  done  to  little 
children  by  sending  them  weeping  and  rebellious 


Happiness  Vibrations  107 

to  bed, —  a  sure  prelude  to  restless,  troubled  sleep, 
with  a  sense  of  injury  stabbing  the  heart  and  rank- 
ling in  the  mind.  It  is  a  preparation  inviting  all 
evil  influences  and  repelling  the  good.  Life's 
cares  and  the  world's  travail  should  be  dropped 
with  our  garments  and  we  should  trust  ourselves 
with  happy  confidence  to  the  blessed  ministrations 
of  the  divine  mystery  of  sleep,  when  the  soul  is 
offered  release  from  its  physical  trammels. 

The  thoughts  which  occupy  the  mind  at  the  mo- 
ment when  Sleep  gently  slips  the  cap  of  oblivion 
over  our  brains  are  of  paramount  influence  not 
merely  upon  the  rest  which  should  ensue  but  also 
upon  the  general  health,  because  they  determine 
in  no  slight  degree  the  character  of  the  Tattvic  flow 
and  the  equable  balance  of  the  two  currents  of 
Prana.  Apas  and  Prithivi,  the  water  and  earth 
elements,  are  favorable  vibrations  whose  flow  we 
encourage  by  cheerfulness,  serene  poise,  pleasure, 
satisfaction  and  all  pure  forms  of  genuine  happi- 
ness. We  can  thus  by  governing  our  unruly 
thoughts  correct  inherited  surplusage  of  unfavor- 
ble  vibrations  and  furnish  the  conditions  that  at- 
tract to  us  more  fortunate  ones. 

Remember  always  that  it  is  the  mind  which  dic- 
tates every  action  that  disturbs  the  Tattvic  balance 
of  the  vital  current,  and  that  the  endowment  of 
free  will  makes  every  human  being  responsible  for 
the  thoughts  that  supply  the  impulse.  The  Tan- 


io8      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

trik  philosophers  held  the  firm  conviction  that  if 
the  human  mind  were  steadfastly  fixed  upon  any  ob- 
ject for  a  certain  time  it  was  absolutely  sure  by  very 
force  of  will  to  attain  that  object. 

Now,  tell  me,  is  there  anything  new  under  the 
sun?  I  must  here  enter  my  protest  against  this 
age-honored  belief  in  the  power  of  mind  being  in 
our  day  mis-called  "  New  Thought."  Its  proper 
name,  giving  it  something  of  the  dignity  its  due  in 
the  revived  cult  which  is  mercifully  encircling  the 
earth,  is  "  Higher  Thought,"  as  distinguished  from 
the  stultifying  bondage  of  materialism.  It  is  older 
far  than  materialism  (only  a  passing  phase  of  way- 
ward human  struggles  to  know  all  things  marking 
the  close  of  the  Black  Age).  Why  belittle  the 
golden  light  of  the  Truth  by  the  term  "  new,"  as 
if  it  were  but  half-known  and  untried? 

The  therapeutic  effect  of  happiness  has  been  long 
recognized,  and  every  physician  feels  that  his  bat- 
tle with  disease  is  half-won  when  he  can  keep  his 
patient  in  a  happy,  cheerful  frame  of  mind.  Yet 
the  vital  significance  of  this  favorable  mental  state 
has  probably  never  been  even  surmised  in  Occiden- 
tal practice.  It  will  advance  the  science  of  medi- 
cine (purely  empiric  now)  more  than  any  discovery 
since  Harvey's  of  the  circulation  of  the  blood,  when 
it  is  known  that  instead  of  being  itself,  "  a  direct 
product  from  blood,"  as  noted  physiologists  have 
maintained,  the  nerve-force  (called  by  them  "  nerv- 


Happiness  Vibrations  109 

ous  ether")  imparts  to  the  blood  all  the  energy 
and  power  it  possesses.  Indeed,  Tantrik  philoso- 
phy pronounces  the  system  of  blood  vessels  only  the 
shadow  of  the  nervous  system.  All  physiological 
effects  are  the  products  of  nerve  activity.  Every 
atom  of  energy  in  the  human  being  is  transmitted 
by  the  nerves,  and  the  form  of  that  energy  and  the 
tempo  of  its  vibrations,  whether  in  rhythmic  har- 
mony or  broken  and  discordant,  is  determined  by 
the  mind. 

Happiness  is  an  upbuilding  force  only  equalled 
by  the  sun's  rays.  It  is  sunshine  in  the  heart  I 
And  it  moves  with  a  joyous  rhythm  that  sings 
through  all  the  Nddis  (nerves  and  blood  vessels)  of 
the  body.  Therefore,  no  medicine  in  the  pharma- 
copoeia possesses  the  curative  virtue  of  happiness  vi- 
brations; while  anxiety,  worry,  depression,  and  ex- 
citement of  the  heated  flurry  sort  cause  varying 
forms  of  stagnation  and  disintegration,  which  dis- 
turb the  balance  of  the  Tatfuas,  compel  the  flow  of 
those  which  in  excess  are  most  inauspicious,  and 
invite  the  very  discord  that  fear  dreads.  Wrong 
thoughts  and  fear  are  the  busiest  builders  of 
disease,  suffering,  and  weakness  that  I  know 
of,  for  they  are  the  disrupters  of  the  physiolog- 
ical balance  of  the  Tattvas;  that  is,  their  man- 
ifestation on  the  gross  plane  of  activity.  It  is  the 
perfect  balance  of  the  positive  and  negative  cur- 
rents of  Prdna  which  maintains  life. 


no     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath" 

In  the  well-poised,  symmetrical,  harmonious  life, 
Prithivi  and  Apas  are  the  predominant  Tattvas. 
In  temperature,  Prithivi  is  next  to  Tejas,  and  Apas 
is  the  coolest  of  the  Tattvas,  exercising  a  restraint 
jupon  the  two  heating  forces,  as  does  Vdyu  in  a 
lesser  degree.  The  craving  for  water  when  over- 
heated is  perfectly  natural  and  can  be  gratified  with 
benefit  only,  if  the  water  be  taken  at  a  rational  tem- 
perature; that  is,  cool,  but  not  iced.  A  kasha,  says 
Rama  Prasad,  "  has  a  state  which  neither  cools  nor 
heats.  This  state  is,  therefore,  the  most  dangerous 
of  all;  and,  if  prolonged,  causes  debility,  disease, 
and  death." 

The  lowering  or  raising  of  the  body's  normal 
temperature,  a  condition  always  watched  with  keen- 
est anxiety  by  physician  and  nurse,  is  one  of  the 
first  symptoms  of  disturbance  in  the  balance  of  the 
Tattvas.  If,  for  example,  Tejas  flows  too  long, 
it  is  robbing  Prithivi,  which  follows  it,  of  part  of 
its  assigned  period  of  activity,  and  the  temperature 
of  the  body  rises  above  normal  heat;  and,  in  like 
manner,  every  Tattva  which  exceeds  its  regular 
period  prevents  its  successor  from  setting  in  when 
it  should ;  and  as  every  one  has  its  assigned  field  of 
activity, —  some  organ  where  it  is  supreme,  some 
elemental  need  which  only  that  Tattva  can  supply, 
— discord,  disorder,  and  disease  quickly  manifest 
themselves.  This  is  the  real  office  of  pain,  not  dis- 
ciplinary but  beneficent;  to  give  man  immediate 


Happiness  Vibrations  in 

warning  when  he  has  transgressed  the  Divine  laws 
which  secure  his  well-being.  When  the  Tattvas 
flow  in  rhythmic  sequence  and  harmony,  the  deli- 
cate transition  of  one  into  another  as  they  change 
(iis  imperceptible. 

All  ignoble  emotions,  as  jealousy,  envy,  malice, 
carping  criticism  or  fault-finding,  and  uncharitable- 
ness  have  their  physiological  effect  in  disturbances 
of  the  Tattvas  compelling  the  prolonged  flow  of 
those  unfavorable  in  terrestrial  activities,  and  re- 
pelling the  joy-giving  and  health-upbuilding  vibra- 
tions. 

Of  all  the  Tattvas,  Apas  carries  the  breath  deep- 
est, and  next  to  it  comes  Prithivl,  which  discloses 
one  secret  of  the  inestimable  benefit,  the  revivifying 
effect,  derived  from  deep  breathing,  without  which 
these  beneficent  Tattvas  are  denied  their  fullest  ac- 
tivity. The  dominance  of  A  pas  in  this  function 
is  confirmed  by  the  great  semi-lunar  ganglion  which 
supplies  the  diaphragm  with  its  nerves  of  involun- 
tary motion.  Any  injury  to  these  nerves  is  marked 
by  symptoms  of  suffocation  (as  in  drowning) ,  from 
Which  the  patient  sometimes  dies  suddenly.  These 
two  Tattvas  work  together  in  complete  harmony, 
under  direct  command  from  the  soul,  for  the  re- 
lease of  the  body  from  the  dominion  of  pain  and 
disease.  Apas,  the  universal  solvent,  slakes  thirst, 
allays  fevers,  washes  away  the  germs  of  disease 
when  we  will  it  to  perform  that  office,  and  imparts 


H2      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

endurance  under  the  privation  of  hunger  and  thirst. 

The  exercise  of  the  Held  breath  encourages  in  a 
marked  degree  the  flow  of  Prithivi,  and  it  is 
brought  into  great  activity  during  Prdnaydma. 
!This  Tattva  gives  endurance  to  acts  performed  dur- 
ing its  flow,  increases  the  power  of  attention,  stimu- 
lates memory,  and  strengthens  the  will-power. 
The  prevalence  of  Prithivi  imparts  a  golden  tinge 
to  the  circle  of  light  about  our  heads  and  to  the 
brilliant  play  of  light-vibrations  seen  within.  This 
inner  light  sometimes  glows  as  brilliantly  as  the 
sunshine  streaming  through  the  purest  atmosphere. 
It  is  a  startling  proof  of  the  reality  of  this  inner 
world,  pulsing  with  golden  glory,  which  we  pene- 
trate in  concentration,  when,  after  such  experience, 
one  opens  the  eyes  upon  a  grey  and  gloomy  sky. 
This  has  often  happened  to  the  writer,  whose  gaze, 
from  her  study  windows,  sweeps  over  acres  of 
house-tops  to  a  hill-bound  horizon  thirty  miles  dis- 
tant. At  such  times,  the  external  gloom  seems 
the  unreality ! 

Prithivi  is  sweet  smelling  and  sweet  to  the  taste, 
jjwhile  Apas  is  astringent,  salty,  and  is  itself  the 
'taster;  that  is,  it  stimulates  the  sense  of  taste. 
Apas  is  the  predominant  Tattva  in  saliva,  which  ac- 
counts for  the  extraordinary  solvent  power  of  this 
digestive  fluid.  It  is  gross  injustice  to  the  whole 
digestive  canal  to  hastily  cram  into  it  a  load  of  half- 
masticated  food,  thus  depriving  Apas  of  opportu- 


Happiness  Vibrations 

nity  to  perform  its  assigned  work  and  thrusting 
upon  the  other  Tattvas  an  office  they  are  unfitted 
for.  Much  of  our  food  is  put  into  the  mouth  in 
the  Prithivic  —  solid  —  state,  and  should  be  re- 
duced to  Apas  —  liquid  —  before  we  permit  it  to 
pass  through  the  Apas  gate  of  taste  by  swallowing 
it.  Tejas  works  harmoniously  after  Apas,  but 
when  required  to  perform  not  merely  double  duty 
but  work  it  is,  chemically  speaking,  unable  to  do, 
the  effort  generates  an  overplus  of  Fdyu  (see  Chap- 
ter VIII).  Gastric  disturbances  of  the  most  seri- 
ous character  have  often  no  other  origin  than  this. 
Sudden  deaths  from  nominal  heart-failure  have 
been  caused  in  this  way,  the  pressure  of  the  gas  — 
Akdsha  and  Fdyu  —  upon  the  heart  arresting  its 
action. 

The  great  benefit  derived  from  walking  is  that 
through  the  exercise  of  the  feet  and  their  contact 
with  the  ground  we  are  attuned  to  terrestrial  forces. 
Not  only  does  the  Prithivi  Tattva  in  the  feet  in- 
crease in  strength,  but  throughout  the  body  it  works 
more  actively  in  all  its  centers.  It  shares  the  in- 
fluence of  Tejas  in  the  solar  plexus,  and  stimulates 
the  wholesome  normal  flow  of  this  Tattva  in  all  its 
centers.  As  Prithivi  is  active  in  the  liver  and  in 
the  lower  intestine  and  kidneys,  it  can  be  readily  un- 
derstood that  the  exercise  of  walking  is  an  un- 
equalled stimulus  to  healthful  digestion,  if  we  eat 
pure  foods  adapted  to  our  physical  needs  and  per- 


H4      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

form  the  only  voluntary  process  of  digestion  — 
mastication  —  with  the  care  its  importance  de- 
mands. 

A  pas  being  regnant  in  the  mouth  and  throat  is 
naturally  the  prevalent  Tattoo,  in  the  function  of 
speech  and  production  of  voice.  As  the  semi-lunar 
current  of  this  Tattva  passes  over  the  muscles  of 
the  vocal  cords  they  are  drawn  up  and  contracted. 
The  deeper  the  curves  the  tenser  the  cords,  and  the 
variations  in  sound  and  tone  are  due  to  the  modifi- 
cations of  this  stimulating  Tattva  through  its  per- 
mutations with  the  others. 

The  anatomy  of  the  larynx  is  a  beautiful  ex- 
ample of  the  co-operative  action  of  the  Tattvas. 
Five  cartilages  corresponding  to  the  different  Tatt- 
vas enter  into  the  construction  of  this  marvellous 
vocal  instrument,  itself  of  triangular  form  blended 
with  crescent-like  curves.  Be  not  confused  by  read- 
ing in  Century  Dictionary  that  there  are  nine  cart- 
ilages. All  but  the  ring-like  cricoid  cartilage,  the 
seat  of  Akdsha,  which  connects  the  larynx  with  the 
trachea,  are  in  pairs,  and  the  dictionary  counts  them 
separately,  though  this  is  not  usual  in  physiologies. 
The  spherical  form  of  Fdyu  is  recognized  in  the 
thyroid  cartilage  (Adam's  apple),  upon  the  action 
of  which  the  intensity  of  the  voice  is  determined; 
Tejas  influence  is  seen  in  the  triangles  of  the  Ary- 
tenoids,  and  that  of  Prithivi  is  recognized  in  the 
hardest  of  these  cartilaginous  bodies,  the  cornicula 


Happiness  Vibrations  115 

laryngis.  All  these  forms  are  rounded  and  modi- 
fied by  the  prevalent  Apas,  and  throughout  the 
whole  body  its  centers  of  activity  can  be  traced  in 
semi-lunar  valves,  ganglia,  and  cartilages. 

Concerning  the  changing  tones  of  the  voice  in 
speech  and  song  and  their  correspondingly  changed 
colors  facts  of  much  interest  will  be  developed  in  a 
later  chapter.  The  thoughtful  student,  however, 
must  already  realize  something  of  the  Tattvic  value 
of  an  agreeable  tone  in  the  speaking  voice, —  of 
music  in  speech.  Every  word  we  utter  has  its  ef- 
fect upon  the  invisible  forces  around  us.  It  has 
been  said  that  "  to  pronounce  a  word  is  to  evoke  a 
thought  and  make  it  present.  The  magnetic  po- 
tency of  the  human  speech  is  the  commencement  of 
every  manifestation  in  the  Occult  World."  Re- 
member the  formative  power  of  sound,  ever  build- 
ing or  disintegrating.  It  is  a  stupendous  force 
when  properly  directed,  for  the  subtle  sound-space 
atoms  are  everywhere ;  and  pleasant  speech  is  every 
human  being's  contribution  to  universal  rhythm  and 
harmony,  but  it  affects  immediately  and  most  pow- 
erfully himself  and  his  associates. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE     ATMOSPHERIC     CURRENTS     OF     PR^NA 

THE  Chinese  artist  Shakaku,  living  in  the 
fifth  century  of  our  era,  laid  down  six 
canons  of  art,  of  which  the  first  and  most 
important  principle  concerned  itself  with  "  The 
Life-Movement  of  the  Spirit  through  the  Rhythm 
of  Things."  It  is  this  "  Life-Movement  of  the 
Spirit  "  that  I  shall  now  endeavor  to  make  clear  to 
you,  disclosing  the  subtle  bonds  of  rhythmic  in- 
fluence that  connect  every  human  being  with  the 
vast  spaces  of  the  Universe,  and  open  to  him  its 
illimitable  resources,  if  he  but  use  them  aright. 

The  broad  and  general  divisions  of  influence 
throughout  the  Kosmos  are  positive  and  negative, 
and  all  life  upon  the  earth  reflects  these  in  all  of  its 
component  parts,  whatsoever  their  diversity  and 
complexity.  Every  human  being  is  an  electric  bat- 
tery with  the  regulation  of  "  poles  "  and  develop- 
ment of  power  under  his  own  control.  The  physi- 
cal organism  is  an  exquisitely  adjusted  system  of 
electrical  and  magnetic  activities,  every  positive  hav- 
ing its  receptive  negative,  and  every  negative  its 
corresponding  positive;  and  the  harmonious  inter- 

116 


Atmospheric  Currents  of  Prana         117 

action  of  these  establishes  the  key-note  of  the  in- 
dividual rhythm. 

But  mark  this  well.  The  perfect  balance  of 
these  electrical  life- forces  can  be  maintained  only 
through  deep  rhythmic  breathing  of  the  purest  air; 
and  I  shall  harp  upon  this  string  till  no  reader  can 
ever  forget  it  for  a  moment.  Be  not  content  with 
letting  some  one  else  breathe  fresh  air,  laboring  un- 
der the  iniquitous  delusion  that  you  are  too  delicate, 
"  too  sensitive  to  cold,"  to  bear  it;  but  insist  upon 
having  it  yourself  by  day  and  by  night.  Not  till 
you  do  this  can  you  begin  to  manifest  the  real 
power,  mental  as  well  as  physical,  which  is  your  na- 
tural inheritance.  The  want  of  fresh  air  is  the 
father  of  all  colds  and  most  lung  troubles,  and  the 
increased  awakening  to  this  truth  is  a  most  hopeful 
sign  of  the  day. 

During  the  winter  of  1905-6,  one  of  the  largest 
hospitals  in  New  York  adopted  the  plan  of  car- 
ing for  all  pneumonia  patients  on  the  roof  in  the 
open  air,  canvas  awnings  to  screen  from  the  wind 
being  the  only  shelter.  Every  patient  so  treated 
recovered!  During  the  two  succeeding  winters, 
this  treatment  has  been  greatly  extended,  and  with 
unvarying  success. 

At  the  risk  of  tiresome  iteration,  I  must  again 
state  that  human  beings  do  not  normally  breathe 
through  both  nostrils  at  the  same  time;  and  the 
breathing  exercises  already  advised  are  not  an  arro- 


n8      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

gant  effort  to  change  the  natural  order  of  this  life- 
function,  but  a  scientific  attempt  to  restore  it.  Nor 
are  they  new  inventions  or  devices  originating  in 
the  Occident.  The  knowledge  of  correct  rhythmic 
breathing  and  of  the  exercises  in  alternate  breathing 
which  purify  the  nerves,  restore  the  disturbed  bal- 
ance of  the  life-current,  and  preserve  the  harmony 
necessary  for  health,  is  the  common  heritage  of 
the  East  Indian  people.  Down  through  the  ages  it 
has  come  to  them;  and  the  practice  of  breathing 
exercises  precedes  their  daily  devotions. 

The  continued  flowing  of  both  positive  and  nega- 
tive breath-currents  simultaneously  marks  extreme 
physical  disturbance,  a  nullifying  of  life- force,  and 
the  Tantrists  believed  it  an  indication  of  approach- 
ing death,  showing  the  breaking  up  of  the  physical 
entity. 

An  ocean  of  solar  Prdna  surrounds  the  great  orb 
of  day,  and  it  is  the  particular  state  of  its  Tattvic 
matter  which  sustains  and  keeps  in  its  orderly  rhyth- 
mic movements  the  whole  solar  system.  As  the 
vibrations  of  the  solar  Prdna  approach  the  earth 
they  are  arrested  by  a  broad  band  of  Akdsha  which 
gives  birth  to  the  terrestrial  Fdyu.  This  forms  a 
blue  sphere  about  the  earth  limiting  its  movements. 
No  explanation  for  this  is  given,  but  following  the 
Tattvic  law  the  natural  inference  is  that  the  extent 
of  the  earth  atmosphere  is  limited  by  the  conjunc- 
tion of  the  solar  and  terrestrial  currents,  an  dkasha 


Atmospheric  Currents  of  Prana         119 

always  emerging  from  such  chemical  affinity,  as 
when  two  Tattvas  meet  and  mingle;  and  from  this 
Akdsha  is  naturally  evolved  the  Vdyu  forming  our 
atmosphere,  the  color  of  which  makes  the  cloudless 
sky  blue. 

This  is  all  the  result  of  Tattvic  energy;  and  we 
must  now  grasp  the  sense  of  that  subtle  something 
which  binds  the  Tattvas  together  and  directs  their 
activities,  ever  carrying  them  onward,  and  never 
arrested  by  them.  This  is  the  spiritual  essence, 
sustaining  life  from  moment  to  moment,  always 
pouring  out  from  the  great  Central  Dynamo  under 
Divine  guidance,  and  borne  to  us  on  the  solar  rays. 
No  Akdsha  nor  Vdyu  can  arrest  it  since  they  are 
but  forms  of  its  ceaseless  energy;  therefore,  these 
rays,  bearing  the  gift  of  life  to  earth  organisms,  are 
merely  refracted  by  these  media  and  pass  onward  to 
exercise  their  organizing  influence  through  terres- 
trial Prdna,  a  modification  of  the  solar  state. 

The  positive  and  negative  streams  of  the  life- 
current  as  they  flow  about  our  terrestrial  sphere  re- 
ceive their  direction  —  that  is,  are  controlled  in 
their  course  —  by  the  aspects  which  the  sun,  the 
moon,  and  the  earth  present  to  one  another.  In 
considering  terrestrial  life,  the  first  division  of  these 
positive  and  negative  influences  is  that  of  the  sea- 
sons, reckoning  the  six  months  when  the  sun  is 
North  of  the  equator  as  summer,  during  which  the 
positive  solar  current  flows  from  the  North  Pole 


I2O     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

to  the  South,  and  the  negative  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion. When  the  sun  sinks  southward  below  the 
equator  in  the  early  autumn,  the  negative  current 
sets  in  from  trie  North  Pole,  and  the  positive  cur- 
rent flows  from  the  South. 

These  two  great  divisions  of  time,  and  of  in- 
fluence upon  earth  life,  are  called  by  the  Hindus 
the  day  and  night  of  the  Devas  (or  "a  Daiva  day 
and  night").  The  Tantrists  further  divide  the 
month  into  "  a  Pitrya  day  and  night "  according 
to  the  moon's  phases;  the  light  half  of  the  month 
(moonlight  nights)  being  positive,  or  day,  to  the 
dark  half  which  is  its  negative  or  night.  Thus, 
you  see,  the  positive  current  —  upon  the  physical 
plane  of  life,  the  sun-breath  —  is  always  reckoned 
as  the  day  time  of  life;  and  the  negative,  as 
the  night  time.  The  positive  is  the  period  of  ac- 
tivity; the  negative  of  the  receptive  brooding  and 
preparation,  by  rest,  for  further  activity. 

Of  supreme  importance,  however,  to  earth  life  is 
this :  As  the  earth  turns  upon  her  own  axis  while 
moving  round  the  great  life-orb,  other,  more  dom- 
inant and  powerful,  and  more  constantly  alternat- 
ing influences  than  the  North  and  South  currents 
are  developed  in  terrestrial  Prana.  These  are  the' 
day  and  night  currents  controlled  by  the  rising  and 
the  setting  of  the  sun. 

Solar  force  is  centered  in  the  East,  and  the 
lunar,  or  sun-shadow,  in  the  West;  and  with  the 


Atmospheric  Currents  of  Prana         121 

rising  of  the  sun  every  foot  of  the  earth's  surface 
as  it  comes  under  the  influence  of  the  solar  rays  re- 
ceives the  positive  life-current  which  streams  west- 
ward along  these  rays.  At  the  same  time  the 
lunar,  or  negative,  current  flows  eastward;  and 
with  the  setting  of  the  sun  the  daily  direction  of 
these  currents  is  exactly  reversed.  The  sweep  of 
this  solar  current  of  Prana  westward,  being  much 
stronger  than  the  Polar  currents,  deflects  the 
Northern  current  in  the  same  direction;  and  the 
lunar  current  has  a  corresponding  effect  upon  the 
negative  current  from  the  South,  carrying  it  east- 
ward. 

This  is  doubtless  the  reason  that  the  needle  of 
a  compass  and  a  magnet  never  point  exactly  to  the 
poles,  being  deflected  east  of  the  North  Pole  and 
West  of  the  South. 

The  quiescent  moment  at  dawn  and  in  the  twi- 
light marks  the  Sushumnd  (Soo-shum-nah) ,  or 
conjunction  of  the  two  currents,  when  Akdsha  pre- 
vails in  the  Prana.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  the 
Hindu  so  scrupulously  takes  his  breathing  exer- 
cises and  meditates  during  these  two  periods,  be- 
lieving the  influences  of  Nature  to  be  especially 
favorable. 

During  the  day  the  earth  is  negative,  having 
yielded  her  positive  radiations  to  the  lunar  cur- 
rent —  moon-breath  —  of  the  brooding  night. 
Dawn  thus  finds  her  in  the  condition  to  be  re- 


122      The  taw  of  the  Rhythmic  BreatK 

ceptively  grateful  for  the  invigorating  rays  of  the 
positive  or  solar  vibrations.  But  there  are  high- 
tides  and  low-tides  of  this  influence  according  to 
the  direction  of  the  solar  rays;  and  every  particle 
of  organic  life  upon  the  earth's  teeming  surface  is 
subjected  further  to  the  influence  of  minor  currents 
from  the  moon  as  she  passes  from  one  constella- 
tion to  another  in  her  eccentric  orbit. 

This  varying  strength  of  the  solar  and  lunar 
currents  causes  momentary  changes  in  terrestrial 
Prdna  which  are  reflected  in  our  bodies.  It  is  an 
ebb  and  flow,  as  it  were ;  a  forward  and  backward 
movement;  and  it  is  this  Great  Breath  of  the  Uni- 
verse that  gives  the  impulse  to  organic  breathing. 
With  its  on-rush  we  inhale,  and  the  current  of 
Prdna  is  sent  to  the  farthest  ends  of  the  gross 
vessels  —  the  nerve  and  blood  channels  —  of  the 
physique.  The  succeeding  moment  imparts  the 
backward  impulse  and  with  the  receding  flow  of 
the  vital  current,  exhalation  takes  place. 

The  throbbing  of  the  heart,  its  expansion  —  the 
diastole  —  and  contraction  —  the  systole  —  cor- 
respond with  the  flow  of  Prdna.  But  the  rapidity 
of  these  inward  and  outward  —  forward  and  back- 
ward —  movements  of  Prdna  varies  in  different 
organisms.  The  influences  which  establish  this  in- 
dividuality, inseparably  associated  with  the  corres- 
pondencies between  the  macrocosm  and  the 


Atmospheric  Currents  of  Prana         123! 

microcosm,  are  the  subject  of  the  next  chapter. 

The  laws  governing  the  flow  of  solar  Prana  to 
the  earth  and  round  about  it  apply  equally  to  all 
the  planets  and  constellations,  but  with  this  differ- 
ence: the  states  of  Tattvic  matter  in  and  about 
every  such  center  are  variously  modified  and  every 
planet  has  a  dominating  Tattva,  just  as  Prithivi 
is  pre-eminent  upon  Mother  Earth.  It  is  this 
radical  difference  of  Tattvic  activity  which  makes 
all  conjectures  upon  the  possibilities  of  life  upon 
the  other  planets  absolutely  futile,  till  minds  can 
grasp  the  conception  of  other  planes  of  life  —  life 
maintained  by  subtler  vibrations,  or,  in  terms  of 
modern  science,  different  chemical  affinities  —  with 
totally  changed  nervous  systems  and  physical  struc- 
ture. 

The  need  of  the  hour  is  to  better  understand 
these  earth  bodies  of  ours,  these  vehicles  intended 
to  facilitate  the  soul's  activities;  to  recognize  that 
they  are  always  in  the  making,  and  that  influences 
undreamed  of  by  the  materialist  are  ever  active  in 
the  making.  Life  is  a  matter  of  moment  to  mo- 
ment, of  unceasing  change.  Thought  is  the  great 
dynamic  power  which  determines  the  nature  of  the 
vibrations  we  draw  to  us.  Directed  by  a  soul-gov- 
erned will  we  can  make  them  as  harmonious  and 
favorable  as  needs  require.  And  the  deeper, 
fuller,  and  slower  we  breathe,  the  more  do  we 


124     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

facilitate  these  natural  operations,  upon  the  per- 
fection of  which  depends  the  physical  well-being. 
Spend  no  breath  in  denying  evil,  but  steadfastly 
affirm  health  1 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE     CIRCULATION    OF    PRA"NA    IN    OUR    BODIES 

THE  preceding  study  of  our  life-forces  has 
taught  the  reader  what  that  atmosphere 
of  psychic   ether  is   in   which,   as   even 
modern  science  has  at  last  recognized,  we  dwell. 
We  are  now  to  study  the  circulation  of  this  ether 
—  the  terrestrial  Prana  —  as  it  enters  the  body 
and  passes  from  one  vital  center  to  another,  work- 
ing with  such  marvelous  intelligence  and  system 
that  its  component  corpuscles   and  "  ions "   may 
well  be  said  to  be  endowed  with  thought. 

The  philosophy  of  the  Tattvic  Law  of  the  Uni- 
verse is  beautiful  in  its  simplicity  when  fully  un- 
derstood, and  the  student  grasps  the  subtle  rela* 
tions  of  cause  and  effect  and  holds  in  his  mind's 
eye  a  soul-uplifting  picture  of  the  whole  Kosmos. 
But  this  cannot  be  gained  without  personal  effort, 
for  the  law  presents  at  the  outset  some  facts  so 
opposed  to  the  accepted  order  of  things  that  it 
seems  impossible  to  explain  the  theory  in  words  so 
convincingly  simple  as  to  be  comprehended  by  all 
readers.  It  is  the  truth  of  being  which  the  Tattvic 
Law  discloses,  but  to  understand  these  truths  and 

125 


126,     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

reap  the  full  benefit  of  the  knowledge,  you  must 
weigh  them  with  unprejudiced  minds. 

Think  for  a  moment  how  profoundly  the  au- 
thority of  the  senses  must  have  been  shaken  when 
the  first  microscope  revealed  to  man  the  heretofore 
invisible  world  in  touch  with  him  everywhere, 
teeming  with  undreamed-of  activities,  governed  by 
the  same  laws  as  the  visible  realm,  and  similar  but 
infinitely  finer  forces  than  those  he  already  knew 
and  had  weighed  and  classified!  When  the  mi- 
croscope opened  the  first  gate  into  the  invisible 
kingdom  which  surrounds  us,  it  disclosed  also  the 
short-comings,  or  limitations,  of  the  physical 
senses;  and,  with  many  other  marvelous  instru- 
ments since  invented  which  penetrate  and  weigh 
and  measure  the  unseen,  the  experience  should 
warn  us  never  to  deny  any  new  thing  because  our 
senses  have  hitherto  failed  to  cognize  it. 

Then,  too,  when  difficulties  present  themselves, 
it  is  defrauding  self  to  seek  outside  help  before  try- 
ing to  solve  them  by  real  thinking  —  such  mental 
exercise  as  will  make  the  brain  more  pliable  and 
receptive.  You  can  draw  no  knowledge  from  any; 
'printed  book,  from  written  word  whatsoever,  un- 
less with  receptive  mind  you  think  the  matter  over 
and  make  it  your  own.  Much  study  and  the 
reading  of  many  books  become  a  delusion  and  a 
snare  unless  time  for  thought  be  given  and  the 
mind  assimilates  and  digests  the  facts.  Only  thus 


Circulation  of  Prana  127 

can  we  invite  winged  thoughts  of  inspiration,  and 
encourage  the  development  of  the  Higher  Self. 

Moreover,  if  you  would  reap  full  advantage 
from  the  study,  a  state  of  mind  in  sympathy  with 
the  subject  and  matter  under  discussion  is  abso- 
lutely necessary.  Antipathy  and  antagonism,  the 
spirit  of  denial,  close  the  receptive  channels  be- 
cause blinding  judgment  and  obscuring  the  intel- 
lect. An  intense  desire  for  knowledge  of  a  par- 
ticular kind  —  especially  for  Light  on  the  Path  — 
opens  the  way  and  attracts  the  vibrations  that  lead 
you  almost  unerringly  to  your  goal. 

Unfortunately,  most  people  face  a  novel  prop- 
osition with  all  the  antagonism  of  previously  ac- 
cepted theories  arrayed  against  it.  But  you  must 
now  cast  any  prejudices  you  may  have  behind  you 
and  prepare  with  inquiring  mind  to  understand  the 
only  logical  and  scientific  explanation  which  has 
ever  been  conceived  of  that  most  wonderful  mech- 
anism, the  human  body.  It  is  a  conception  which 
makes  natural  —  brings  into  the  realm  of  reality 
—  what  has  heretofore  been  considered  supernat- 
ural, when  not  dismissed  contemptuously  as  "  mere 
superstition,"  and  lifts  the  veil  from  the  mysteri- 
ous relations  which  connect  the  human  being  with 
the  whole  solar  system,  and  make  the  physical  in- 
strument a  sensitive  harp  played  upon  by  myriads 
of  vibrating  waves. 

Tantrik  philosophy  studies  and  analyzes  the  cir- 


1281      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

culation  of  Prdna  in  the  human  body  from  the 
moment  that  its  two  currents  —  positive  and  nega- 
tive —  establish  their  northern  and  southern  cen- 
ters of  influence  in  the  embryo;  the  northern,  or 
positive,  focus  becoming  the  brain  center;  and  the 
southern,  or  negative,  the  heart.  The  interaction 
of  these  two  currents  working  from  center  to  cen- 
ter, back  and  forth  in  rhythm  with  the  Great 
Breath  of  the  Universe,  guided,  directed,  and  re- 
strained by  the  Tattvic  vibrations  emanating  from 
every  center  of  force  in  the  starry  firmament,  grad- 
ually builds  up  the  marvelous  nervous  and  vascular 
systems  connecting  these  two  centers  of  life,  and 
ramifying  thence  throughout  the  human  entity  till 
the  living  temple  is  made  ready  for  the  in-dwelling 
soul! 

Thus,  as  related  to  each  other,  the  nervous  sys- 
tem is  positive  and  the  blood  system  negative;  but 
the  diurnal  rotation  of  our  earth  affects  our  bodies 
as  it  is  itself  affected,  and  gives  rise  to  other  cur- 
rents which  divide  these  systems  into  East  and 
•West,  or  positive  and  negative  halves.  The  right 
jside  of  the  body  corresponds  to  the  East,  and  is 
under  positive  influence;  and  the  left  side  to  the 
West,  and  is  negatively  affected.  Then  the  cor- 
relative influence  of  all  these  currents  develops  in 
each  center  —  the  brain  and  the  heart  —  a  further 
division  into  lower  and  upper  chambers.  In  the 
northern  center  we  know  the  upper,  or  positive, 


Circulation  of  Prana  129 

division  as  the  cerebrum  (always  recognized  in 
physiology  as  the  dominant  part  of  the  brain),  and 
the  lower,  or  negative,  as  the  cerebellum.  In  the 
heart,  we  can  identify  the  auricles  as  the  negative, 
and  the  ventricles  as  the  positive  divisions.  Notice 
that  in  both  centers  the  positive  divisions  are  near- 
est the  poles  of  these  centers;  thus,  the  lower  cham- 
bers of  the  southern  center  are  positive,  and  the 
upper  part  of  the  brain;  that  is,  the  hemispheres 
of  the  cerebrum.  Put  yourself  in  imagination 
within  your  egg-shaped  aura  and  this  will  be  clear 
to  you. 

The  eastern  and  western  currents  of  Prana  make 
for  themselves  two  main  channels  called  respec- 
tively Pin  gala  (the  positive)  and  Ida  (Ee-dah  — 
the  negative),  which  run  down  the  length  of  the 
spine  forming  the  trunks  of  the  great  sympathetic 
system.  The  spinal  canal  is  the  Sushumna,  the 
conjunction  of  the  two  currents  where  the  Prana 
changes  from  side  to  side.  There  is  also  a  cardiac 
Sushumna  midway  between  the  right  and  left  lobes 
of  the  heart.  To  all  these  conduits  of  force  — 
nerves,  arteries,  and  veins  —  the  Tantrists  give  the 
name  "  Nadi,"  and  for  the  sake  of  its  simplicity 
we  will  retain  it.  The  three  Nddis  above  men- 
tioned are  the  most  important  in  the  body  being 
the  great  reservoirs  and  conduits  of  life- force. 

Radiating  from  both  the  Ida  and  the  Pingala 
are  fifty  principal  Nddis,  and  these  branch  into 


130      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

hundreds  and  other  hundreds  till  10,100  branch- 
Nadis  are  reckoned;  and  through  the  ramification 
of  these  into  thousands  of  "  twigs,"  the  Nadis  of 
the  third  degree  become  so  minute  as  to  be  visible 
only  under  the  microscope;  and  the  total  number 
is  reckoned  as  727,210,201  Nadis.  Wherever 
this  vast  net  work  of  nerves  spreads  throughout 
the  body  there  are  blood  vessels  running  side  by 
side  proceeding  from  the  Nadis  of  the  heart. 

Thus,  you  see,  the  real  force  of  life  dwells  in 
the  nervous  system,  which  receives  the  positive 
solar  current  of  Prana;  while  the  blood  vessels  re- 
ceive through  the  nerves  the  negative  lunar  current. 
The  one,  therefore,  represents  the  sun,  and  the 
other  the  moon;  but  these  two  phases  of  life-sus- 
taining matter  are  merely  different  conditions  or 
states  of  the  same  substance, —  Prana,  the  solar 
matter;  and  its  manifestations  in  the  body  are  an 
exact  expression  of  the  terrestrial  Prana  as  is  that 
of  its  solar  source. 

I  shall  also  use  the  Tantrik  term  Chakra  —  sig- 
nifying a  disc  or  circle  —  in  describing  the  pairs  of 
sensory  and  motor  nerves  branching  from  the 
spinal  cord.  These  thirty-one  Chakras  of  the 
spine  are  brought  into  existence  by  the  thirty-one 
sunrises  in  a  zodiacal  sign,  and  the  Tantrists  rec- 
ognize a  like  number  of  Chakras  in  the  heart 
which  correspond  with  the  sunsets.  Animating 
and  inspiring  the  "  thousand-petalled  lotus "  of 


Circulation  of  Prana  13 11 

the  brain  are  twelve  pair  of  nerves  which  corre- 
spond with  the  signs  of  the  Zodiac  in  their  positive 
phase ;  and,  likewise,  from  the  "  four-petalled 
lotus  "  of  the  heart  proceed  twelve  Nddis  —  con- 
duits of  blood  —  which  reflect  the  negative  aspects 
of  the  zodiacal  signs  (these  can  be  identified  in 
any  good  illustration  of  the  heart) . 

Thus  the  microcosm  mirrors  in  itself  the  macro- 
cosm, and  every  Nddi  and  Chakra  therein  is  con- 
nected with  the  greater  sphere  by  invisible  lines  of 
a  power  and  influence  that  human  intellect  has 
never  yet  weighed  nor  measured.  Although  there 
have  come  down  through  the  ages  hints  of  these 
mysterious  relations  which  would  not  be  silenced, 
modern  thought  has  brushed  them  aside  contempt- 
uously as  rank  superstition.  Ere  long  all  the  text- 
books will  have  to  be  re-written. 

Mme.  Blavatsky  says :  "  The  heart  is  king, 
the  most  important  organ  in  the  body  of  man." 
And  she  further  states  that  esoterically  it  is  the 
"  seven-leaved  lotus  .  .  .  the  cave  of  Buddhi, 
with  its  seven  compartments  "  and  corresponding 
"  brains;  "  that  is,  states  of  spiritual  consciousness. 
The  Hindu  Trimurti  (Trinity)  corresponds  in 
the  world  of  matter  with  Fire  (Sun),  Water,  and 
Earth;  and  is  symbolized  by  the  Lotus,  which, 
rooted  in  the  earth,  grows  up  through  the  water  to 
expand  in  the  sun-warmed  air  into  leaf  and  bud  and 
blossom.  A  most  sacred  symbol  to  the  Hindu,  this 


1323     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

transition  from  root  to  sun-kissed  lily  expressed  to 
him  the  evolution  of  the  soul  through  its  earthly 
physical  vehicle  to  spiritual  consciousness.  Here, 
again,  we  have  proof  of  the  aptness  of  the  sym- 
bology;  for  these  descriptions  of  both  heart  and 
brain  are  corroborated  by  clairvoyant  sight,  which 
sees,  surrounding  both  these  centers,  countless 
radiations  of  exquisite  opalescent  prismatic  colors. 
They  circle  and  return,  outlining  in  very  fact  the 
many-petalled  sacred  lily  of  the  Orient  (For 
striking  illustration  of  this  see  Babbitt's  Principles 
of  Light  and  Color.  P.  48 1 ) . 

The  sympathetic  cords  —  the  Pingala  and  the 
Ida  —  consist  of  chains  of  ganglia  which  are  cen- 
ters of  Tattvic  influence, —  the  Padmas  or  lotuses 
of  the  Tantras.  These  Tattvic  centers  are  of  five 
sorts,  taking  the  form  of  the  prevalent  Tattva. 
Thus  the  Prithivi  centers  are  quadrangular;  the 
Apas,  semi-lunar;  Tejas,  triangular;  Vayu,  spher- 
ical;  and  Akdsha,  circular;  and  Tattvic  permuta- 
tions form  composite  ganglia.  It  is  of  interest  to 
record  here  that  five  distinct  types  of  cells  in 
the  spinal  ganglia  of  our  friend,  the  dog,  are 
known  to  anatomists,  every  one  of  which  could 
probably  be  identified  with  the  Tattvic  force 
therein  manifested.  Although  the  record  of  the 
human  neurons  is  incomplete,  it  has  been  noticed 
that  the  spherical  germinal  cells,  "  partly  for  rea- 
sons at  present  not  clear,  later  assume,  in  different 


Circulation  of  Prana  133 

regions,  very  different  shapes."  The  signficance 
of  this  change  of  form,  however,  seems  never  to 
have  been  surmised  by  the  anatomists. 

In  Standard  dictionary,  under  the  word  "  Peri- 
neurium,"  an  interesting  illustration  can  be  seen 
of  a  cross-section  of  a  nerve.  There  are  five  coils 
of  wire-like  fibres  grouped  together  in  the  gen- 
eral sheath.  They  vary  greatly  in  size,  and 
every  coil  has  its  own  insulating  sheath,  pre- 
serving to  every  Tattva  its  inviolate  line,  though 
all  run  over  the  same  wire,  or  nerve.  Presumably, 
the  sizes  of  the  coils  vary  according  to  the  domi- 
nance of  the  Tatty  as. 

The  Padmas  of  the  sympathetic  cord  are  closely 
connected  with  all  the  thirty-one  Chakras  of  the 
spine.  Those  of  the  Pingald  are,  of  course,  posi- 
tively electrified,  and  they  owe  allegiance  to  the 
brain;  and  those  of  the  Ida  are  negative  and  owe 
allegiance  to  the  heart. 

The  movement  of  Prana  through  the  nervous 
system  corresponds  with  the  course  of  the  sun 
through  the  signs  of  the  Zodiac  and  with  ter- 
restrial rotation.  As  the  sun  passes  from  one  sign 
to  another,  the  Prana  moves  to  the  corresponding 
Nadis  of  the  brain.  At  sunrise,  the  rays  of  this 
localized  Prana  descend  every  day  to  the  spinal 
Chakra  on  the  Pingald  side  corresponding  with 
the  position  of  the  sun  in  the  zodiacal  sign.  Thus, 
every  Chakra  in  turn,  day  by  day,  is  the  microcos- 


134     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

mic  correspondence  with  the  ecliptical  Prdna  of 
the  macrocosm;  and  from  it  the  Prdna  streams 
along  the  nerves  of  the  right  side,  gradually  enter- 
ing the  arteries  and  veins. 

Always,  under  normal  conditions,  Prdna  is 
stronger  till  noon  in  the  nerve  than  in  the  blood 
Chakras.  At  mid-day  these  two  great  life-dis- 
tributing systems  of  the  body  are  equally  balanced ; 
and  this  perfect  equilibrium  fits  the  individual  for 
the  fullest  expression  of  his  physical  and  mental 
powers.  He  is  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  noon-day 
of  his  strength.  It  is  most  unscientific  and  a 
brutal  imposition  upon  the  stomach  to  load  it  up 
at  this  time,  when  the  day's  labor  is  but  half-done, 
with  a  hearty  meal  of  foods  difficult  to  digest.  It 
is  a  flagrant  waste  of  both  strength  and  food. 
Only  a  light  luncheon  of  easily  digested  foods 
should  be  taken.  Especially  for  all  sedentary 
workers  this  rule  should  be  made  a  hard  and  fast 
one. 

From  noon  on  the  blood  is  the  great  absorber, 
and  at  sunset  the  solar  Prdna  has  passed  entirely 
into  the  Nddls  of  the  blood.  The  impact  of  these 
positive  vibrations  has  beaten  upon  the  Tattvic 
cords  of  the  various  sensuous  and  active  organs 
until  they  are  weary  and  have  lost  the  power  of 
sympathetic  response  to  external  stimuli.  There- 
fore, the  fatigue  and  lassitude  commonly  felt  as 
night  approaches  are  perfectly  normal,  and  are 


Circulation  of  Prana  135* 

Nature's  warning  signals  to  halt,  the  hour  for 
rest  has  come.  When  the  positive  current  gains 
more  than  ordinary  strength,  as  when  will-power 
flogs  an  exhausted  mind  or  body  to  continued  ef- 
fort, the  senses  are  so  over-stimulated  that  they 
cease  to  respond  to  external  excitants,  and  pro- 
longed abuse  causes  their  breakdown.  After  sun- 
down, the  heart  —  the  negative  southern  center  — 
gathers  the  Prana  to  itself,  whence  it  spreads  grad- 
ually into  the  left-side  Nddls  of  the  blood,  and 
returns  from  them  into  the  nerves.  At  midnight 
the  two  systems  are  again  equalized  in  strength; 
but  at  sunrise,  the  Prana  has  passed  into  the  nerves 
and  is  ready  for  the  daily  circuit,  descending  to  the 
spinal  Chakra  succeeding  the  one  through  which 
it  streamed  the  previous  day. 

The  moon,  moving  twelve  times  faster  than  the 
sun,  is  the  source  of  minor  lunar  currents  of  Prana 
that  move  correspondingly  faster  than  the  solar 
current  whose  diurnal  circuit  we  have  just  traced. 
These  movements  correspond  with  the  movements 
of  the  sun  and  moon  through  the  zodiacal  signs; 
and  their  interaction  is  the  immediate  cause  of  the 
periodical  changes  of  breath.  Thus  while  the/ 
sun's  rays  are  reflected  in  one  Chakra,  those  or 
the  moon  pass  through  twelve  odd  Chakras;  and 
the  lunar  current  of  Prana  streams  from  the  spine 
to  the  heart  in  a  fraction  less  than  an  hour, —  58 
m.  4  s. —  and  returns  in  the  same  time.  While  it 


136      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

is  passing  from  the  spine  to  the  right;  that  is,  from 
the  northern  center  to  the  East,  the  breath  flows 
out  of  the  right  nostril  and,  as  the  Shivagama 
describes  it,  the  right  side  of  the  body  is  the  "  full 
side." 

When  the  Prdna  enters  the  cardiac  canal,  the 
heart  Sushumnd,  the  breath,  for  a  few  seconds,  is 
imperceptible  in  the  nostrils.  As  it  leaves  the 
heart  from  the  left  —  that  is,  moving  to  the  West 
—  to  return  to  the  brain,  the  breath  flows  from 
the  left  nostril.  And  thus,  hour  by  hour,  or  a 
duration  of  two  and  a  half  Charts  ( i  Ghari  equals 
24  minutes),  the  solar  and  lunar  currents  alter- 
nate; and  thus  they  would  rotate,  "  forever  and  a 
day,"  in  agreement  with  the  unchanging  laws  of 
the  universe,  but  for  the  disturbing  factors  of  hu- 
man will  and  emotions.  But  the  freedom  which 
has  wrought  so  much  evil  is  simply  a  power  mis- 
used. It  is  even  more  powerful  for  good. 

The  periodicity  of  special  wave  vibrations  which 
stamps  upon  every  mind  its  bias,  imparting  its  in- 
dividuality, is  established  at  the  moment  of  birth 
by  the  Prdnic  current  prevalent  at  the  time.  But 
never  forget  that  we  have  the  ability  to  overcome 
unfavorable  vibrations,  and  the  overcoming  de- 
velops latent  power  as  nothing  else  can.  Self- 
conquest  is  the  greatest  achievement,  and  the  self- 
conquest  won  by  the  light  of  the  Tattvic  Law  is  a 
process  of  uplifting  development,  a  growth  of  soul- 
power,  not  of  humiliating  self-abasement. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE   MANIFESTATIONS   OF   PRANA 

WHAT  we  know  as  the  manifestations  of 
Prana  are  the  periodic  changes  of  its 
center  of  activity  from  one  vital  func- 
tion to  another  in  unvarying  progression,  appar- 
ently regulated  in  the  order  of  manifestation  by  the 
changes  in  the  flow  of  the  Tattvas. 

For  these  manifestations  of  Prana  are  of  course 
manifestations  of  various  Tattvic  activities.  Con- 
cerning this  the  Upanishad  explains :  "  As  the 
paramount  power  appoints  its  servants,  telling 
them,  '  Rule  such  and  such  villages,'  so  does  the 
Prana.  It  puts  its  different  manifestations  (its 
elemental  servants)  in  different  places,"  and  they 
follow  in  the  order  in  which  the  flow  of  the  Tatt- 
vas succeed  one  another;  by  the  "flow"  being 
meant  the  predominance  of  one  Tattva  more  than 
the  others.  It  is  not  to  be  understood,  for  exam- 
ple, when  Vayu  is  said  to  be  flowing  that  Vdyu  is 
the  only  Tattva  present  in  the  Prdnic  current;  but 
it  is  in  greater  proportion  —  four  atoms  to  one 
each  of  the  other  four  —  in  order  that  its  centers 
can  be  renewed.  Whether  waking  or  sleeping, 

137 


138!      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

while  life  animates  the  physical  entity,  these 
changes  succeed  one  another  ceaselessly  and  meth- 
odically. 

According  to  the  Shivdgama,  the  flow  of  the 
Tattvas  is  "  Ghari  by  Ghari  "  (about  twenty-four 
minutes),  one  after  the  other;  and  the  current  of 
Prdna  is  active  in  all  the  centers  of  the  prevalent 
Tattva  at  the  same  time.  This,  however,  does  not 
agree  with  the  teaching  of  the  modern  Guras  and 
learned  pundits  of  East  India,  but  I  believe  I  can 
reconcile  the  two. 

The  Shivdgama  is  none  too  clear  in  describing 
these  changes,  and  the  Upanishads  are  entirely  in- 
definite on  the  subject.  Therefore,  it  is  not  surpris- 
ing that  some  students  have  confounded  the  Tatt- 
vic  changes,  or  the  manifestations  of  Prdna  in 
Tattvic  centers,  with  the  changes  of  the  Pranic 
currents  which  are  much  longer,  and  this  has  led 
to  some  confusion  and  diversity  of  opinion  as  to 
the  changes  of  breath. 

The  succession  of  the  Tattvas  is  not  in  the  exact 
order  of  their  evolution,  and  it  varies  also  accord- 
ing to  the  part  of  the  body  in  which  the  current 
of  Prana  is  at  the  time  active.  Thus,  while  it  is 
in  the  back  part  of  the  body  on  the  right  side,  the 
Tattvas  change  from  Fdyu  to  Tejas,  Prithivi,  and 
A  pas;  and  when  the  life-current  passes  into  the 
front  part  of  the  right  side  they  change  from  Apas 
through  Prithivi  and  Tejas  back  to  Vdyu.  The 


Manifestations  of  Prana  139 

changes  on  the  left  side  are  exactly  reversed,  for 
negative  action  is  a  reflection  of  the  positive,  re- 
ceiving its  impressions  as  does  a  mirror  that  of  the 
object  before  it.  If  we  could  keep  this  always  in 
mind  it  would  explain  many  puzzling  things.  As 
Akdsha  flows  between  every  two  Tattvas  and  is 
active  in  the  Sttshumnd  which  intervenes  between 
the  changes  of  Prdnlc  currents,  the  time  of  its  flow 
is  broken  into  shorter  intervals;  and,  therefore, 
the  description  "  Ghari  by  Ghari "  could  not  apply 
to  it. 

It  is  my  belief  that  the  meaning  of  the  Shivd- 
gama  has  been  misunderstood,  and  that  the  de- 
scription therein  of  the  flow  of  the  Tattvas  applies 
to  their  changes  in  the  solar  and  terrestrial  currents 
of  Prana,  and  not  at  all  to  those  in  the  human 
physique.  Just  as  the  planets  are  distinguished  one 
from  another  by  the  predominance  of  a  ruling 
Tattva,  so  also  is  every  species  of  earth  life  thus 
differentiated;  and  the  lower  the  grade  of  life  the 
simpler  the  structure  and,  consequently,  the  vibra- 
tion and  the  color.  This  is  proved  in  the  auras 
of  minerals,  which  show  only  one  color,  and  of  the 
flora  and  fauna  which  display  more  and  more  com- 
plex colors  as  they  ascend  in  the  scale  of  life. 

As  you  might  conjecture  from  its  life  under  the 
ground,  in  the  busy  ant  Privithi  is  the  dominant 
Tattva;  and  the  reason  the  fly  goes  into  hiding  or 
persistently  attacks  the  human  being  and  all  warm- 


1401      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

blooded  creatures  when  cold  winds  blow  and  on 
raw,  damp  days,  is  that  Tejas  is  its  life  element. 
I  have  found  that  the  most  obstinate  nuisance  will 
cease  his  persecutions  on  such  days  if  a  pitcher  of 
hot  water  be  placed  nearby.  He  will  hug  it  as 
long  as  warmth  lingers.  In  the  birds  of  the  air 
Fdyu  predominates  over  Prithivi,  while  in  the 
quadruped  who  clings  to  the  earth  with  four  feet 
this  is  exactly  reversed. 

I  have  frequently  given  emphasis  to  the  fact 
that  upon  man  is  placed  the  responsibility  of  choos- 
ing for  himself  what  shall  be  the  dominant  Tattvic 
activities  of  his  being,  and  that  upon  his  choice 
depends  not  alone  his  own  weal  and  woe  but  the 
comfort,  happiness,  and  well-being  of  all  whose 
lives  are  connected  with  him.  Therefore,  know- 
ing as  you  do  now  the  terrestrial  influences  of  the 
various  Tattvas,  it  must  certainly  appeal  to  you 
as  more  logical  that  some  of  them  should  have  a 
greater  normal  flow  than  others;  and  this  is  ex- 
actly the  teaching  at  the  present  time  of  the  East 
Indian  Guras.  By  this  method,  their  order  is  as 
given  above,  but  Fayu  is  said  to  flow  eight  min- 
utes; Tejas,  twelve  minutes;  Prithivi,  twenty  min- 
utes; Apas,  sixteen  minutes;  and  A  kasha,  only 
four.  As  this  totals  sixty  minutes,  the  rational 
conclusion  is  that  the  exact  period  is  a  fraction  less 
and  that  there  is  one  complete  change  of  the 


Manifestations  of  Prana  141 

Tattvas  during  the  flow  of  each  current  of  Prana. 

Now,  if  you  remember  that  five  Charts  are 
about  equal  to  two  hours  you  will  understand  that 
by  the  Shivdgama  reckoning  we  are  confronted 
i  with  the  puzzling  statement  that  there  is  only  one 
complete  change  of  the  Tattvas  during  the  flow 
of  the  two  currents,  that  is  during  a  positive  period 
when  the  breath  is  in  the  right  lung  and  the  cur- 
rents are  flowing  from  the  northern  to  the  south- 
ern center;  and  a  negative  one  when  the  breath  is 
in  the  left  lung  and  the  direction  is  reversed,  the 
Prana  flowing  from  the  heart,  or  southern  center, 
northward  on  the  left  side.  Yet  the  statement  is 
also  made  in  the  Shivagama  that  "  In  the  left  as 
well  as  in  the  right  there  is  the  five-fold  rise  "  [of 
the  Tattvas].  That  the  Tattvic  changes  in  the 
world  current  are  "  Ghari  by  Ghari  "  is  my  con- 
viction. 

With  regard  to  the  two  currents  of  Prdna,  it  is 
significant  that  the  period  of  their  flow  exactly 
corresponds  with  a  twelfth  of  the  moon's  eccentric 
diurnal  orbit,  during  which  period  there  is  a 
marked  change  in  her  elongation,  or  angular  dis- 
tance from  the  sun,  and  this  change  in  the  wave 
vibrations  is  reflected  in  the  breath.  The  Tan- 
trists  believed  the  lunar  current  to  be  most  pow- 
erful during  the  rise  of  Taurus,  Cancer,  Virgo, 
Scorpio,  Capricornus,  and  Pisces;  and  the  solar 


142      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

current  to  be  dominant  when  Aries,  Gemini,  Leo, 
Libra,  Sagittarius,  and  Aquarius  are  in  the  as- 
cendant. 

To  understand  this  clearly  we  must  grasp  the 
conception  of  the  wheel  within  wheels, —  the  ever- 
present  positive  and  negative  forces  in  every  divi- 
sion of  every  activity  down  to  the  infinitesimal 
molecule.  Thus,  though  the  lunar  current  is  nega- 
tive to  the  solar,  it  is  itself  compounded  of  positive 
and  negative  atoms  and  has  its  positive  aspect.  In 
no  other  way  can  we  reconcile  the  flow  of  the  lunar 
current  southward  on  the  right  (the  positive)  side 
to  the  heart,  during  which  time  the  breath  flows 
from  the  positive  nostril.  Therefore,  in  its  effects 
and  action,  or  movement,  it  is  like  the  solar  current, 
for  it  is  positively  electrified.  We  are  simply  to 
understand  that  the  course  of  the  current  through 
the  body  is  influenced  by  the  direction  given  to  the 
moon's  rays  from  its  position  in  the  heavens. 

But  always  the  Rayi  —  lunar  current,  or  negative 
phase  of  Prdna  —  is  the  "  cooler  state  of  life- 
matter  which  is  only  the  shade  of  Prdna,  the  orig- 
inal state."  It  "has  the  qualities  of  Amrita,  the 
giver  of  eternaji  life;"  and  also,  "In  the  left 
Nddi,  the  appearance  of  the  breath  is  that  of  the 
Amrita  (nectar) ;  it  is  the  great  nourisher  of  the 
world." 

On  the  first  lunar  day  —  that  is,  the  first  day  of 
the  "  bright  fortnight,"  or  moonlight  nights  —  the 


Manifestations  of  Prana  143 

lunar  current,  which  is  then  the  stronger,  is  said 
to  flow  at  the  rising  of  the  sun,  and  during  the 
dark  fortnight  the  solar  current  comes  in  first,  the 
currents  alternating  one  after  the  other  as  pre- 
viously described.  In  spite  of  this  normal  order, 
however,  Tantrik  philosophy  teaches  that  "  It  con- 
fers groups  of  good  qualities  "  to  cause  the  nega- 
tive breath  to  flow  at  sunrise  and  the  positive 
breath  at  sundown.  Any  electrician  should  under- 
stand the  rationale  of  this,  for  it  puts  the  body  in 
a  receptive  condition  towards  the  terrestrial  Prdna, 
which  is  at  the  maximum  of  its  positive  phase  at 
sunrise.  If  it  is  the  normal  condition  for  the  lunar 
current  to  come  in  first  during  the  bright  fort- 
night, we  need  seek  no  further  reason  for  its  be- 
ing considered  the  most  fortunate  half  of  the 
month,  especially  for  women,  who  are  the  nega- 
tive half  of  humanity. 

The  most  important  of  the  manifestations  of 
Prana  are  five  in  number,  though  the  Hindu 
proness  to  the  ultimate  analysis  rests  not  till  it  enu- 
merates ten  of  these  forces,  or  so-called  Vdyus.  But 
as  the  five  minor  ones  are  but  modifications  of  the 
others,  signs  as  it  were  of  their  activities,  we  will 
confine  our  examination  to  those  governing  organic 
functions. 

The  first  is  the  act  of  breathing,  and  as  this  func- 
tion is  the  key  to  the  changes  of  the  life-current, 
it  bears  the  same  name  and  is  identified  as  Prana, 


144     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

being,  says  Rama  Prasad,  "  that  manifestation  of 
the  life-coil  which  draws  atmospheric  air  from 
without  into  the  system."  Fdyu  is  the  prevalent 
Tattva,  and  the  right  lung  is  the  seat  of  its  posi- 
tive phase,  and  the  left,  of  the  negative.  The  pul- 
monary circulation  of  blood  in  the  upper  Chakra 
(the  cavity  of  the  chest)  is  positive  to  that  in  the 
lower  Chakra  (below  the  diaphragm),  but  also 
arterial  blood  in  both  Chakras,  or  systems  of  circu- 
lation, is  positive  to  the  negative  veins.  The  cap- 
illaries are  the  Sushumnd  of  the  vascular  system. 
Thus,  again,  you  find  the  wheel  within  wheel. 

The  second  manifestation  of  Prana  is  Samana 
which  governs  the  processes  of  digestion  and  as- 
similation, carrying  the  nutrient  juices  where 
needed.  Tejas  is  the  ruling  Tattva,  and  the  stom- 
ach and  navel  the  seats  of  its  positive  phase,  while 
the  negative  phase  is  active  in  the  duodenum. 
Apdna,  the  third  manifestation,  governs  the  ex- 
cretory functions,  in  which  Prithivi  predominates; 
the  positive  phase  working  in  the  long  intestine, 
and  the  negative,  in  the  kidneys.  As  Apdna  is 
said  to  throw  "  from  inside,  out  of  the  system, 
things  which  are  not  needed  there,"  it  is  reasonable 
to  conclude  that  the  function  of  Prithivi  in  both 
skin  and  lungs  is  excretory,  and  that  perspiration  is 
also  a  manifestation  of  Apdna. 

Vydna,  the  fourth  manifestation,  is  the  seat  of 
Apas,  and  is  present  all  over  the  body,  being  that 


Manifestations  of  Prana  145 

force,  which,  during  life  keeps  all  parts  in  perfect 
shape  and  resists  breaking  down  and  disintegra- 
tion. This  preponderance  of  Apas  —  five-sixths 
of  the  human  body  is  water  —  can  be  traced 
throughout  the  physical  structure,  its  seats  of  in- 
fluence being  more  clearly  defined  anatomically 
than  those  of  any  other  Tattva.  The  semi-lunar 
valves  in  arteries  and  veins  are  among  these. 

The  fifth  manifestation  is  Uddna,  the  seat  of 
Akdsha.  It  is  the  power  which  inclines  the  life- 
forces  back  to  the  centers  —  northern  or  southern 
—  and  is  regnant  therefore  in  the  spine  and  heart, 
and  also  in  the  throat.  A  lump  in  the  throat, 
when  the  breath  catches  and  almost  goes,  after  a 
quick  run,  proclaims  the  presence  of  Uddna,  and 
this  manifestation  is  dangerous.  It  is  evidence  of 
the  excess  of  one  current,  and  if  it  passes  to  a  cer- 
tain delicate  line  beyond  the  ordinary  limit,  the 
opposite  current  fails  to  react,  Prdna  remains  in 
the  Sushumnd,  and  death  results.  These  are  the 
moments  when  life  hangs  by  a  thread,  so  delicate 
is  the  balance.  To  stimulate  the  opposite  current 
to  flow  is  the  need  at  this  critical  moment,  and 
probably  in  most  cases  it  is  the  positive  current 
which  has  done  the  mischief. 

Whole  books  of  the  Upanishads  are  devoted  to 
poetical  descriptions  of  these  manifestations  of 
Prdna,  imagination  revelling  in  depicting  their 
power.  Prdna  is  usually  described  as  declaring 


146     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

"  itself  five-fold  "  through  "  unfolding  "  the  va- 
rious  elements,  or  Tattvas,  in  these  several  mani- 
festations. There  are  said  to  be  "  five  gates  to 
the  heart,"  for  the  Devas,  or  senses  (remem- 
ber that  every  sense  corresponds  to  a  special 
Tattva  which  stimulates  its  activity),  and  the  heart 
is  the  ruler  of  the  sensuous  and  active  organs.  The 
heart  receives  impressions  from  the  positive  Prana, 
and  it  is  the'  nature  of  the  heart's  reflection  of  these 
upon  which  human  actions  and  the  work  of  the 
world  depend.  The  eastern  gate  is  Prdna,  man- 
ifested in  "  up-breathing."  Apdna,  the  western 
gate,  is  described  as  down-breathing,  and  the  deity 
that  exists  in  the  earth  (in  modern  phraseology, 
gravity)  is  there  to  support  man's  Apana,  ever  at- 
tracting its  activities  downwards. 

Samdna,  the  northern  gate,  is  described  as  on- 
breathing,  because  it  impels  the  grosser  materials 
of  food  to  the  Apdna,  and  conveys  the  finer  and 
more  subtle  nutriment  to  the  limbs.  Fydna  is  the 
southern  gate,  and,  pervading  the  blood-A^w,  is 
recognized  as  back-breathing.  Uddna  is  called  the 
upper  gate,  and  distinguished  as  out-breathing,  be- 
ing most  perceptible  in  the  throat.  Now,  this  up- 
ward impulse  has  its  normal  beneficent  phase,  en- 
couraging "  growth,  lightness  and  agility,"  and  it 
is  evil  only  when  the  currents  are  unbalanced;  for 
the  Tattvic  Law  of  Harmony  requires  that  these 


Manifestations  of  Prana  147 

two  vital  creative  forces  be  equally  active,  but  al- 
ternately dominate  one  another. 

As  these  manifestations  change  from  one  to  an- 
other the  state  of  Sushumnd  intervenes;  therefore, 
the  rays  of  Sushumnd  extend  all  over  the  body 
midway  between  the  positive  and  negative  Nddis, 
and  are  the  medium  by  which  the  Prana  passes 
back  and  forth  from  the  positive  to  the  negative 
parts  of  the  body  and  'vice  versa. 

The  rule  holds  good  to  all  eternity  that  like 
seeks  like.  You  must  think  in  harmony  with  the 
purest  vibrations  of  the  external  world,  if  you 
would  reap  the  benefit  of  your  kinship  with  all 
good  and  all  power  in  the  Universe.  Understand 
well  and  clearly  this  fact:  The  very  ability  to 
think  at  all  implies  the  freedom  to  use  the  power 
beneficently  instead  of  harmfully, —  to  change  your 
thoughts  from  one  thing  to  another  as  easily  as  you 
do  your  garments.  Nothing  is  impossible  to  the 
soul-directed  thought;  failure  is  through  want  of 
faith,  of  fixedness  of  purpose  and  aim;  success  is 
in  direct  proportion  to  the  unswerving  trust  of 
our  belief.  It  is  we  who  fail ;  never  the  law  1  Our 
very  failures  testify  to  that. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

PLANETARY   INFLUENCES   UPON   THE   TATTVAS 

WE  have  heretofore  considered  the  regular, 
normal  order  of  the  solar  and  lunar  cur- 
rents of  Prdna,  and  it  should  be  clearly 
understood  by  this  time  that  the  Tattvic  state  of 
these  currents  is  a  most  important  factor  in  de- 
termining the  beneficial  effects  upon  the  whole  phy- 
sical being  of  their  even,  balanced  flow  in  deep,  full 
rhythmical  breathing. 

The  paramount  influence  affecting  this  comes 
from  the  planets,  every  one  of  which  establishes 
its  own  currents  in  the  organism,  determined  in 
degree  and  kind  by  the  planets'  position  in  the  firm- 
ament and  consequent  relation  with  all  other  plan- 
ets. It  is  the  strength  of  these  currents,  varying 
in  different  people,  which  distinguishes  the  individ- 
ualized, local  Prdna  from  the  universal  terrestrial 
Prdna.  In  this  fact  we  find  corroboration  of  all 
that  astrology  claims  concerning  the  planetary  in- 
fluences at  the  moment  of  birth  upon  human  life 
and  character. 

There  are  seven  descriptions  of  life-currents, 
148 


Planetary  Influences  149 

corresponding  exactly  with  the  planets  of  the  solar 
system  and  influenced  by  them,  which  flow  around 
the  spinal  Chakras,  every  Chakra  being  itself,  in 
the  activities  therein  centered,  a  minature  copy  of 
the  Zodiac  with  divisions  of  influence  corresponding 
to  its  heavenly  signs.  Several  of  these  currents, 
or  even  all,  may  be  passing  along  at  the  same  time 
over  the  same  nerve  and  around  the  same  Chakra, 
just  as  varying  electric  currents  pass  simultaneously 
over  the  same  wire.  The  multitudinous  fibers  in 
a  single  nerve  prevent  any  "  interference."  But 
every  Tattva  will  be  more  active  in  certain  divis- 
ions of  the  Chakra  according  to  the  position  in  the 
Zodiac  of  the  planetary  influence;  for  the  vibra- 
tions of  the  microcosm  correspond  with  those  of 
the  macrocosm. 

These  seven  variations  are  all  to  be  understood 
as  Tattvic  modifications  of  Prana,  and  they  would 
flow  on  forever  and  aye  within  the  body  as  with- 
out in  undisturbed  harmony  when  Nature  is  serene, 
and  affected  by  her  storms  only  when  in  planetary, 
or  Tattvic  sympathy  with  them,  but  for  the  erratic 
working  of  human  free  will.  As  already  stated 
many  times,  all  disease  is  the  result  of  disturbances 
in  the  regular  balance  of  the  positive  and  negative, 
or  solar  and  lunar,  currents  of  Prana,  and  of  the 
normal  flow  of  the  Tattvas;  and  human  errors, 
emotions,  and  deeds  are  the  most  common  dis- 
turbing factors.  But  the  changes  thus  injected 


150      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

into  the  localized,  or  individualized,  Prdna  prove 
to  us  as  nothing  else  can  the  dynamic  power  of 
thought,  itself  manipulating  and  disturbing  these 
forces  and  therefore  superior  to  them;  and  disclose 
to  the  spiritually  alive  soul  glimpses  of  limitless 
realms  for  conquest. 

To  the  materialist  these  realms  of  power  are  a 
sealed  book,  and  will  forever  remain  beyond  his 
vision.  He  is  the  victim  of  self-limitation !  They 
are  accessible  only  to  the  soul-directed  will,  which, 
governing  thought,  chooses  the  right  path  and  car- 
ries consciousness  to  higher  planes  of  harmonic  vi- 
brations. The  human  instrument  is  thus  tuned  to 
purer  and  higher  influences. 

An  ocean  of  thought-vibrations  is  beating  upon 
our  brains  every  instant,  seeking  sympathetic  vi- 
brations upon  which  to  impinge.  This  is  the  se- 
cret of  the  same  thought  flashing  through  many 
brains  under  the  same  Tattvic  influence  at  the  same 
time.  While  this  Tattvic  (or  planetary)  influence 
determines  the  thoughts  and  the  deeds  of  the 
drifters  and  all  in  negative  —  that  is,  receptive  — 
conditions,  OURS  is  THE  POWER  TO  CHOOSE  THE 
THOUGHT.  The  free  will  that  is  a  peril  is  also 
the  greatest  blessing,  putting  in  our  grasp  the  ever- 
ready  means  to  overcome  physical  evils;  and  the 
needs  of  the  hour  are  ethical  training  in  choice,  and 
the  education  of  the  will.  Evil  seeks  evil  with  a 
marvellous  power  of  accretion  and  disturbance, 


Planetary  Influences  151 

but  think  not  for  a  moment  that  all  good  is  not 
even  more  powerful.  The  one  corresponds  to 
darkness,  the  other  to  light;  the  one  is  disintegrat- 
ing, the  other  upbuilding  and  renewing.  "  There 
is  in  things  evil  an  element  of  self-destruction,  in 
the  operation  of  which  lies  the  safety  of  the  Uni- 
verse "  ( The  Perfect  Way,  p.  189). 

Thus  the  Tattvic  state  of  Prdna  in  every  human 
being  is  determined  by  the  position  and  strength 
of  the  various  local  currents.  Color  in  different 
plexuses  varies  from  moment  to  moment  as  the 
Tattvic  currents  change  and  according  to  the  flow 
of  the  Prdnlc  current,  the  state  of  which  —  positive 
or  negative  —  modifies  the  prevalent  color.  The 
negative  current  of  Prdna  is  said  to  be  pure  white, 
and  the  positive  is  tinged  with  red, —  sometimes 
described  as  rose-color.  This  agrees  perfectly 
with  the  color  of  the  nerves,  the  sensory  (afferent 
and  posterior),  which  are  the  negative  ones,  being 
bluish-white;  and  the  motor  (efferent  and  anter- 
ior), are  reddish-grey.  The  prevalent  Tattva  in- 
jects its  particular  hue.  When  by  any  act  of  ours 
one  or  more  of  these  Tattvas  is  abnormally  stimu- 
lated —  as  in  states  of  excitement,  anger,  hatred, 
jealousy,  or  depression  and  manifold  worries  — 
it  not  merely  upsets  the  balance  of  the  prevalent 
Tattvic  currents  of  the  moment,  but  the  disorder  is 
stamped  upon  the  current  of  the  hour;  and  it  passes 
on  into  the  vast  spaces  of  the  Universe  to  return 


152     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

again  and  again  with  varying  degrees  of  force  ac- 
cording as  the  planets  return  to  positions  and  rela- 
tions one  to  another  approximating  the  conditions 
at  the  time  of  the  original  disturbance. 

All  the  misery  in  the  world  is  primarily  due  to 
foul  magnetisms  (which  are  evil  vibrations  of  tre- 
mendously penetrative  and  compelling  power)  gen- 
erated by  wrong  and  impure  thoughts  and  by  fear, 
and  constantly  fed  by  the  crimes  of  the  depraved 
and  the  sins  of  the  weak.  The  world  has  grown 
old  trying  to  punish  crime  out  of  existence.  But  it 
can  never  be  lessened  till  the  leaven  of  spiritual 
thought  reaches  the  masses;  and  the  basic  truth, 
that  wholesome,  joyful  thinking  makes  healthy, 
happy  people  is  universally  known. 

It  is  possible  to  gain  such  power  over  the  Pranlc 
currents  through  perfect  concentration  —  right 
thinking  held  steadfastly  to  the  desired  end  —  and 
careful  attention  to  breathing  correctly  and  rhyth- 
mically, as  to  put  them  in  any  Tattvic  state  desired; 
and  this  frees  one  from  all  antagonistic  influences, 
whether  hereditary  or  the  chance  (?)  of  birth  — 
that  is,  planetary  conditions  at  the  moment. 
"  Neither  the  lunar  day,  nor  the  constellations,  norj 
the  solar  day,  nor  planet,  nor  god  [that  is,  force]" 
have  power  to  affect  one  who  knows  the  Tattvic 
Law  and  applies  it  through  habitual  practice  and 
right  direction  of  thought  and  willpower.  A  hu- 
man soul  is  more  to  God  than  any  planet,  and  all 


Planetary  Influences  153 

the  creative  powers  of  the  Universe  work  with  and 
for  the  right. 

Throughout  the  Universe  we  have  the  seven- 
fold division,  and  that  the  planets  are  closely  re- 
lated with  this,  having  each  a  correspondence  with 
plane  and  principle  and  element,  with  color  and 
with  tone,  is  so  manifest  to  the  Occult  student 
as  to  need  no  demonstration.  We  are  so  wonted 
to  this  seven-fold  division  in  some  of  the  common 
affairs  of  life  as  to  accept  it  unquestioningly. 
Thus,  the  seven  days  of  the  week  are  named  from 
the  planets,  not  in  haphazard  fashion,  but  strictly 
in  accordance  with  their  movements  hour  by  hour. 

A  cardinal  tenet  of  the  earliest  known  principles 
of  astrology  was  that  every  hour  and  every  day  is 
under  the  direct  rule  and  influence  of  a  planet;  and 
there  is  no  record  of  a  period  when  the  nearer  plan- 
ets, from  Saturn  to  Mercury,  were  not  known  and 
symbolized  as  in  our  era.  Of  these,  the  sun  and 
moon,  supposed  by  the  Egyptians  to  circle  round 
the  earth,  were  recognized  as  paramount  in  influ- 
ence upon  it;  and  the  others  were  dignified  accord- 
ing to  the  periods  of  their  orbits  which  were  the 
gauge  of  their  distance. 

The  planet  ruling  the  first  hour  names  the  day, 
and  the  succession  begins  with  Saturn,  the  most 
distant,  and  takes  the  planets  in  their  order,  viz. : 
Saturn,  Jupiter,  Mars,  Sol,  Venus,  Mercury,  and 
Luna.  Thus,  on  Saturn's  day  Jupiter  rules  the 


154      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

second  hour;  Mars,  the  third;  Sol  (sun),  the 
fourth;  Venus,  the  fifth;  Mercury,  the  sixth;  and 
Luna,  the  seventh.  Every  planet  reigns  the  first 
hour  of  its  own  day,  and  the  eighth,  fifteenth,  and 
twenty-second.  Three  repetitions  carry  us  through 
the  twenty-first  hour;  Saturn  rules  the  twenty- 
second;  Jupiter,  the  twenty-third;  and  Mars  the 
twenty- fourth,  finishing  the  day.  Then  Sol  rules 
the  first  hour  of  the  succeeding  day,  which  is  Sun- 
day; called  by  the  Romans  Dies  Dominica,  or 
Lord's  Day, —  the  day  of  the  Lord  Sun.  Some  au- 
thorities count  from  the  rising  of  the  sun;  but  a 
very  old  work,  Arcandum's  Astrology,  reckons  this 
planetary  rule  of  hours  from  midnight  which  agrees 
with  the  modern  reckoning  of  time. 

The  orderly  repetition  brings  Luna  —  the  moon 
—  in  as  ruler  of  the  next  day,  hence,  Monday; 
Mars,  (French,  Mardi],  Tuesday;  Mercury,  Wed- 
nesday; Jupiter,  (Saxon,  Thor),  Thursday;  and 
Venus  (Saxon,  Frea),  Friday.  All  of  the  Latin 
tongues  preserve  in  the  names  for  the  days  of 
the  week  their  planetary  origin;  but  the  Saxon  de- 
rivation of  English  nomenclature  has  in  ours  ob- 
scured it  in  part. 

All  possibility  that  chance  or  pure  arbitrary  se- 
lection had  any  part  in  thus  naming  the  days  seems 
eliminated  when  we  consider  the  double  harmony 
ruling  the  order.  The  succession  of  the  planets 
is  not  only  from  the  slowest,  Saturn,  to  the  swift- 


Planetary  Influences  155 

est,  the  moon;  but  also  in  the  exact  order  of  their 
distance  from  the  earth,  from  the  most  remote  to 
the  nearest.  In  matters  astrological  it  is  this  reg- 
ular succession  of  the  planets,  hour  by  hour,  that 
determines  fortunate  planetary  hours  for  various 
acts  and  undertakings.  They  are  not,  however,1 
the  same  for  all  persons,  being  modified  in  effect  by 
the  characteristics  established  at  the  nativity. 

It  is  interesting  while  on  the  subject,  and  piles 
up  the  authority  for  thus  naming  the  days  of  the 
week  and  their  order  as  we  know  them,  to  mention 
that  the  seven  Hebrew  words  for  the  first  seven 
cardinal  numbers  are  all  formed  of  one  syllable  that 
signifies  a  star  (or  fire  or  light)  and  another  ex- 
pressing its  quality,  and  they  follow  strictly  the 
above  order,  beginning  with  Sunday  as  the  first 
day  of  the  week.  This  is  conclusive  evidence  that 
at  the  earliest  formation  of  that  language  the  re- 
lation between  the  planets  and  the  days  of  the 
week  was  recognized  as  a  basic  fact  in  nature. 
The  characteristic  influences  of  the  several  planets 
thus  expressed  in  the  Hebrew  names  agree  perfectly 
with  the  attributes  still  commonly  assigned  them; 
and  as  they  are  important  in  our  further  study  I 
give  them  here  with  the  original  uncorrupted  form 
of  the  Hebrew  numbers: 

1.  Ash-shed;  Sol,  all-bountiful  fire. 

2.  Ash-nem;  Luna,  star  of  slumber,  star  of 
oracles. 


156      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

3.  Ash-lesh;  Mars,  star  of  flame. 

4.  Ar-rabo;  Mercury,  star  of  activity. 

5.  Chem-ash;  Jupiter,  star  of  warmth,  star  of 
joy. 

6.  Ash-ish;  Venus,  star  of  existence. 

7.  Ash-shebo;   Saturn,   star  of  old  age,   and 
signifying  also  the  end  and  the  beginning. 

In  further  consideration  of  planetary  influences, 
there  seem  to  be  convincing  reasons  for  observing 
scrupulously  this  natural  order  of  the  planets  in 
time  and  space, —  the  only  one  which  satisfies  my 
mind  as  in  harmony  with  the  Tattvic  Law.  Con- 
fronted with  the  problem  of  harmonizing  these,  it 
was  for  a  time  bewildering  to  find  how  many  tables 
of  planetary  correspondencies  with  color,  number, 
metals,  elements,  and  days  had  been  devised  in 
which  the  natural  sequence  of  the  planets  is  con- 
stantly violated,  and  the  days  of  the  week  are 
thrown  into  utter  confusion;  Monday  following 
Tuesday,  and  Saturday,  Wednesday.  There  is 
but  one  solitary  anchor  of  agreement  upon  these 
planetary  correspondencies  between  the  various 
tables,  religious,  Occult,  astrological,  and  astronom- 
ical,—  with  but  one  exception,  to  my  knowledge, 
all  connect  Mars  with  fire,  heat  and  passion,  and 
the  strife  that  leads  to  armed  contest;  hence,  he 
was  called  the  god  of  war.  We  shall  weigh  the 
authority  of  some  of  these  tables  when  we  study 
in  their  turn  color  and  number  in  greater  detail. 


Planetary  Influences  157 

Our  immediate  interest  now  is  with  the  Tattvic  cor- 
respondencies which  subject  their  activities  —  that 
is,  their  vibrations  —  in  physical  organisms  to 
planetary  influences. 

The  Shwagam*,  which  is  the  Sanskrit  authority 
for  most  of  our  knowledge  concerning  the  Tattvic 
Law,  gives  two  sets  of  Tattvic  values  or  corres- 
pondencies for  the  planets,  which  at  the  outset  is 
bewildering  and  unsatisfactory.  There  is  but  the 
slightest  agreement  between  the  two;  and  upon  ex- 
amination the  logical  mind  rejects  both  as  equally 
arbitrary  and  capricious,  and  seeks  for  a  satisfac- 
tory hypothesis  upon  which  to  base  the  law  of  cor- 
respondencies. 

We  ask  ourselves:  How  do  the  planets  differ 
one  from  another  in  elementary  substances,  and 
how  are  the  Tattvas  differentiated?  In  the  evolu- 
tion of  the  latter  (see  Chapter  V)  we  know  that 

Aj  / 

Akdsha  —  the  bowl  in  which  all  are  mixed  —  is 
the  most  sublimated  and  that  they  increase  in  dens- 
ity as  they  descend  to  Prithivi,  the  activities  of 
which  tend  to  cohesiveness  and  compactness.  This 
brings  us  immediately  to  the  question:  Are  not 
(the  planets  differentiated  in  the  same  way,  and 
is  not  their  density  determined  in  like  manner,  or 
by  the  variation  in  the  proportions  of  the  Tattvas? 
If  so,  which  is  the  most  ethereal? 

Fortunately  modern  science  has  arrived  at  very 
definite  conclusions  upon  this  subject  of  the  density 


158      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

of  the  planets, —  a  triumph  of  mathematics,  that 
wonderful  science  on  the  wings  of  which  the  most 
severely  materialistic  mind  fares  forth  into  the  in- 
visible and  brings  back  irrefutable  data.  When 
we  group  the  planets  in  the  astronomical  order  of 
their  density;  we  find  that  it  increases  in  an  almost 
regular  progression  from  Saturn  to  Mercury, 
which  harmonizes  perfectly  in  sequence  with  the 
age-honored  order  of  the  hour-by-hour  rule;  that 
is,  from  the  most  distant  to  the  nearest.  The  re- 
mote planets  Uranus  (Herschel)  and  Neptune 
(pronounced  by  Occultists  to  be  outside  our  sys- 
tem) do  not  come  within  the  relations  we  are  con- 
sidering. They  were  unknown  and  invisible  to 
the  ancient  world.  Both  discovered  within  the  last 
century  and  a  quarter  (1781-1846,  respectively), 
their  influence  upon  earth  life  as  yet  is  very  slight, 
but  they  are  heralds  of  coming  changes. 

Dropping  out  of  this  planetary  sequence,  tem- 
porarily, during  our  search  for  Tattvic  correspon- 
dencies, the  sun  and  moon,  lords  respectively  of  the 
positive  and  negative  currents  of  Prdna,  we  are 
reminded  that  the  earth  upon  which  we  live  is  also 
a  planet  and  has  its  place  in  this  progression  of 
density;  and  we  find  it  between  Venus  and  Mer- 
cury. But  in  her  orbital  distance  from  the  sun,  the 
earth's  place  in  the  sequence  is  between  Venus  and 
Mars.  Remember  this,  for  it  will  be  found  to 
explain  a  seeming  Tattvic  irregularity. 


Planetary  Influences  159 

I  do  not  expect  those  readers  who  have  merely 
read  these  lessons  so  far,  and  have  neither  practiced 
nor  studied,  therefore  do  not  know  one  Tattvr, 
from  another  nor  recall  their  distinguishing  char- 
acteristics, to  grasp  the  significance  of  the  above 
established  facts.  It  is  not  mere  phenomena  we 
are  seeking  but  absolute  truth.  And  those  who  are 
beginning  to  know  the  separate  Tattvas  by  their 
fixed  activities  and  relations  and  invariable  effects 
must  already  understand  their  logical  corresponden- 
cies with  the  planets.  Here  is  the  opportunity  to 
do  some  serious  thinking.  All  interested  students 
should  meditate  upon  the  subject  and  see  how  near 
they  can  come  to  a  correct  solution  of  the  problem 
before  reading  the  next  chapter. 

It  is  necessary  to  give  extreme  emphasis  to  the 
fact  that  these  lessons  are  neither  mere  speculations 
nor  simply  disclosures  of  curious  mysteries.  They 
are  the  first  attempt  to  explain,  in  so  practical  a 
manner  as  to  apply  to  every  human  need,  the  basic 
truths,  as  far  as  human  intelligence  has  yet  un- 
ravelled them,  concerning  the  vital  force  in  human 
organisms.  And  their  value  is  that  they  teach  a 
thoroughly  scientific  method  of  personal  training 
to  obtain  control  of  body  and  mind,  and  make  them 
the  perfect  vehicles  for  the  soul's  expression  that 
the  Creator  intended.  Only  by  means  of  constant 
and  regular  practice  of  the  breathing  exercises  and 
of  concentration  can  these  benefits  be  gained.  In 


l6o     [The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

concentration  the  mind  is  gradually  attuned  to  those 
Kosmic  influences  which  in  their  very  nature  are  an- 
tagonistic to  the  evil  material  inclinations  that  are 
hazards  to  physical  health  and  check  our  evolu- 
tionary progress. 

It  is  through  the  ability  to  control  Prdna  and 
center  it  wherever  we  desire  that  we  build  the  lad- 
der to  perfect  centralization;  a  state  of  pure  con- 
centration which  is  lofty  aspiration  and,  releasing 
the  soul  from  its  physical  chains,  places  it  upon  its 
own  throne,  and  discloses  to  it  the  realms  of  know- 
ledge and  power  to  which  it  has  access. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  ACTIVITIES  OF  THE  MACROCOSM  IN  THE 
MICROCOSM 

THE  new  science  declares  confidently  that 
we  are  akin  to  the  stars,  meaning  thereby 
that,   being   composed   of  like   elements 
though  in  vastly  different  states,  we  have  through 
countless  ages  evolved  therefrom.     Yet  it  would 
cut  us  off  entirely  from  that  influence  now !     And 
this  is  the  great  stumbling  block  of  progress. 

When  science  goes  further  and  recognizes  that 
mankind,  as  also  every  living  creature  and  every 
visible,  material  thing,  is  ever  in  the  making  and 
has  never  been  severed  from  that  original  kinship, 
humanity  will  gain  an  immense  impetus  in  the  up- 
ward ascent  of  the  evolutionary  spiral,  towards  the 
development  of  spiritual  senses.  The  X-ray  fore- 
shadows the  powers  humanity  will  thus  gain. 

Fortunately,  recent  discoveries  are  fast  under- 
mining the  walls  between  the  visible  and  invisible 
that  materialism  has  with  such  blind  zeal  endeav- 
ored to  render  impregnable.  It  is  of  vast  signifi- 
cance to  have  discovered  that  "  The  chemistry  of 
all  parts  of  space  is  the  same."  The  factor  which 

161 


1 62     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

they  leave  out  of  all  their  calculations  and  investi- 
gations is  "  The  Life-Movement  of  the  Spirit 
through  the  Rhythm  of  Things."  This  is  the  en- 
ergy within  energy  behind  all  phenomena,  the  Soul 
of  every  atom,  an  energy  of  which  we  are  a  part, 
and  of  which  we  use  whatever  we  will;  that  is, 
whatever  we  fit  ourselves  for  through  training  of 
will  and  desire  and  thought. 

Of  stupendous  import  to  the  race  is  it  to  study 
present  stellar  influences,  realizing  that  the  most 
distant  star  that  lights  the  midnight  canopy  has  its 
not  insignificant  part  to  play  in  the  Kosmic  whole 
—  just  as  every  atom  and  molecule  in  the  physical 
body  has  its  use  and  connection  with  that  whole. 
All  phenomena,  atmospheric,  terrene,  physical,  or 
mental,  may  be  traced  to  Kosmic  energies,  a  part 
of  which  we  are. 

Every  point  in  the  macrocosm  is  a  center  of  ac- 
tion and  reaction  for  the  whole  ocean  of  Prdna; 
and  every  one  of  these  centers  has  its  own  atmos- 
phere with  its  special  limit.  Rama  Prasad  says 
they  might  be  called  "  solar  atoms."  They  are 
"  of  various  classes  according  to  the  prevalence  of 
one  or  more  of  the  constituent  Tattvas."  And  yet 
further,  "  Every  atom  has,  therefore,  for  its  con- 
stituents, all  the  four  Tattvas,  in  varying  propor- 
tions according  to  its  position  in  respect  of  others. 
The  different  classes  of  these  solar  atoms  appear 
on  the  terrestrial  plane  as  the  various  elements 


Activities  of  the  Macrocosm  163 

of  chemistry."  These  points  —  the  most  infinites- 
imal units  of  time  as  of  space  —  are  called 
Trutis  in  Sanskrit,  and  lacking  a  word  to  so 
clearly  identify  the  thing,  I  shall  use  it.  To 
understand  the  ceaseless  play  of  vibratory  rays 
emanating  from  the  celestial  workshops,  meeting 
and  crossing  or  impinging  upon  one  another  on 
varying  planes,  imagine,  if  you  can,  the  spectacle 
presented  if  seven  or  more  particles  of  radium 
could  be  so  placed  and  displayed  in  a  darkened 
room  that  you  could  see  the  criss-crossing  of  their 
brilliant  rays  in  a  bewildering  maze. 

At  every  intersection  of  rays  there  would  be  a 
Trutl  receiving  those  rays,  but  no  two  Trutis  could 
possibly  receive  precisely  the  same  vibrations,  for 
not  only  are  there  three  kinds  of  rays  to  move  at 
varying  tangents  but  the  Trutis  would  vary  in 
plane  and  also  in  distance  from  the  centers.  Just 
such  streams  of  influence  are  beating  upon  us  all  the 
time.  In  the  zone  of  earth-life,  every  Trutl  of 
the  ecliptical  space  is  an  individual  organism  whose 
life-phases  change  with  the  momentary  variations 
of  the  Tattvic  vibrations  as  the  earth  and  her  sister 
planets  whirl  in  their  orbits. 

Man  is  a  microcosmic  sphere  of  energy  exactly 
duplicating  or  reflecting  the  macrocosmic  sphere, 
of  which  he  is  as  it  were  a  single  cell,  made  up  of 
millions  of  atoms  held  together  by  vibratory  law. 
Just  as  no  two  Trutis  can  be  exactly  alike,  so  no  two 


164     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

human  beings  are,  for  the  unceasing  play  of  the 
Tattvas  is  a  constant  mingling  and  changing  under 
the  ebb  and  flow  of  the  Great  Breath,  which  holds 
all  the  planets  and  constellations  in  their  assigned 
orbits.  Thus  the  Tattvas  are  the  forces  that  lie  at 
the  root  of  all  manifestations.  They  are  that 
which  lies  behind  every  natural  phenomenon.  But 
it  is  only  when  the  Tattvas  reach  a  certain  state  of 
density  that  they  become  visible.  The  sun,  stars, 
and  planets  are  the  visible,  materialized  centers  of 
invisible,  spiritual  and  ethereal  forces.  To  spirit- 
ual vision  no  matter  is  dense. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  no  two  planets 
move  with  the  same  velocity  or  in  the  same  orbit, 
and  that  consequently  their  aspects  one  to  another 
are  incessantly  changing.  The  varying  forms  of 
Tattvic  force  and  influence  cause  this  and  it  is  the 
reaction  from  the  planets  which  injects  such  varia- 
tion in  the  Pranic  currents  flowing  earthward;  and, 
in  consequence,  into  every  species  of  earth  organ- 
ism —  these  organisms  being,  as  you  will  remem- 
ber, manifestations  on  the  gross  (that  is,  visible!) 
plane  of  Tattvic  activities. 

Astronomers  have  recognized  that  the  mutual 
interaction  between  the  planets  is  a  never-ending 
source  of  perturbations  and  disturbances,  now 
checking  and  diverting,  now  restraining  and  now 
accelerating  each  and  every  one  in  its  orbit,  so  that 
their  paths  through  the  congeries  of  stars  which 


Activities  of  the  Macrocosm  165 

form  the  constellations,  though  never  diverging 
far  from  the  ecliptic,  are  most  devious,  being 
marked  by  eccentric  loops  and  kinks  recoiling  upon 
their  celestial  pathways.  Size  and  weight  or  ve- 
locity of  motion,  and  especially  their  position  in  re- 
lation to  the  sun  have  been  the  factors  supposed  to 
account  for  the  influences  and  antagonisms  driving 
these  stellar  lords  to  so  erratic  conduct. 

That  the  antagonism  was  in  substance,  a  ques- 
tion of  chemical  affinity  or  repulsion  —  shall  we 
not  say  of  electrical  condition  ?  —  seems  never  to 
have  occurred  to  investigators.  But  when  we  ap- 
ply the  Tattvic  Law  to  the  problem  there  is  the 
most  logical  basis  to  believe  that  it  solves  the  enig- 
ma, accounting  for  all  vagaries  and  idiosyncrasies 
and  for  the  known  influences  of  one  planet  upon 
another. 

Let  us  begin  with  Saturn.  By  our  law  of  corres- 
pondencies, it  seems  a  simple  matter  to  recognize 
that  this  most  masterful  and  significant  of  the  ma- 
jor planets  is  the  center  of  Akdshic  influence,  and 
derives  from  the  predominance  of  this  Tattva  all 
the  malefic  influences  which  the  astrologer  attri- 
butes to  the  "  great  infortune."  The  rays  of  light 
thus  thrown  upon  the  subject  dissipate  a  cloud  of 
mystery  and  make  clear  hitherto  unexplainable 
phenomena,  as  also  many  a  legend  and  story  of  old. 
Both  Saturn  and  Jupiter  are  said  to  present  "  only 
a  surface  of  clouds,  and  may  not  have  anything 


1 66      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

solid  about  them;"  but  it  is  suspected  that  they 
have  a  high  temperature.  Some  states  of  Akdsha 
are  known  to  be  marked  by  an  extraordinarily  high 
temperature,  and  "  a  surface  of  cloud  "  is  what  we 
should  naturally  expect. 

Even  to  the  naked  eye  Saturn  gleams  with  a 
cold  blue  light.  Seen  through  a  five-inch  telescope, 
the  planet  appears  of  a  cool  silver-white  color,  with 
delicate  greyish  shadings,  blending  one  with  an- 
other as  they  stretch  from  the  bright  equatorial 
belt  to  the  deep  blue  poles.  These  polar  caps  are 
sometimes  described  as  of  a  dark  greenish  hue,  but 
the  great  dissimilarity  in  human  optics  would  ac- 
count for  this  discrepancy,  as  also  would  changing 
Tattvlc  conditions.  An  interesting  feature  is  that 
the  planet  is  banded  by  vari-colored  belts,  red,  or- 
ange, and  sometimes  delicate  rose-color;  they  are, 
however,  less  brilliant  than  Jupiter's  belts  and  not 
recognized  as  so  variable. 

But  the  greatest  distinction  of  Saturn  —  the  phe- 
nomenon that  puzzles  the  scientists  the  most  —  is 
its  remarkable  system  of  rings,  separate  from  the 
planet  and  surrounding  its  equatorial  belt.  There 
are  two  broad,  bright  bands,  separated  from  each 
other  by  "  a  black  line  "  (indigo?),  which  "  line  " 
marks  a  i,6oo-mile  gap;  and  a  third  dusky  inner 
ring  which  is  only  faintly  luminous  and  so  transpa- 
rent that  the  edge  of  the  planet  can  be  seen  through 


Activities  of  the  Macrocosm  167 

its  mass.  The  space  between  them  has  been  meas- 
ured and  it  is  estimated  to  be  from  nine  to  ten 
thousand  miles  broad.  The  inner  and  outer  rings 
are  over  10,000  miles  in  width,  and  the  middle  one 
is  more  than  a  third  broader,  being  16,500  miles 
wide. 

To  the  knower  of  the  Tattvas,  the  only  possible 
hypothesis  is  that  these  rings  are  Tattvic  emana- 
tions from  the  mother  bowl  of  Akdsha,  and  their 
peculiarities  so  far  as  known  perfectly  agree  with 
their  natural  identification.  Thus,  the  "gauzy," 
"  crepy  "  inner  ring  is  Fdyu  (air),  whence  emerges 
the  brightest  and  broadest  ring,  Tejas.  The  ex- 
pansive nature  of  this  Tattva  explains  its  greater 
width,  and  the  qualities  of  light  and  heat  and  its 
characteristic  color,  its  superior  brilliancy.  The 
outer  ring  appears  to  be  Prithivi.  Color  and  vol- 
ume corroborate  this  suggestion,  while  in  the  mid- 
night-gap that  separates  it  from  Tejas,  Akdsha 
must  hold  Apas  (water)  in  a  latent  state.  This 
order  of  visibility  corresponds  perfectly  with  the 
planetary  sequence,  and  also  with  the  changes  of 
the  Tattvas  in  the  currents  of  Prdna  within  our 
bodies,  as  described  in  Chapter  XIII,  where  your 
attention  was  attracted  to  the  peculiarity  that  the 
order  of  evolution  (see  Chapter  V  )  was  violated. 
I  am  satisfied  that  we  find  in  the  planetary  sequence 
the  explanation  for  this,  and  the  famous  rings  of 


i68;     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 
Saturn  corroborate  the  belief.     No  other  planets 

A  r 

have  rings.     Only  from  Akdsha  could  they  eman- 
ate. 

Saturn's  rings  are  the  girdle  with  which  Satan 
alone  among  the  gods  is  girt  about;  for  Satan  is  the 
Soul  and  spiritual  ruler  of  Saturn.  His  kingdom 
is  the  house  of  matter.  "  Evil  is  the  result  of  lim- 
itation, and  Satan  is  the  Lord  of  Limit"  (see 
"Perfect  Way,"  page  369).  Remember  that 
through  Akdsha  spirit  descended  into  matter. 

Ancient  myths  represent  Saturn  as  devouring  his 
children,  which  symbolizes  exactly  what  the  Akd- 
sh'ic  Tattva  does  with  every  other  Tattva.  Ages 
before  Christ,  all  the  lesser  celestial  bodies  were  re- 
garded as  Saturn's  children.  The  Hebrews  had 
several  names  for  Saturn,  but  as  Sater,  or  Seater, 
the  attributes  conferred  upon  him  will  be  recog- 
nized as  symbolizing  perfectly  the  qualities  or  pow- 
ers of  Akdsha.  He  was  called  the  "  god  of  se- 
crecy," "  parent  of  successive  being,"  and  "  author 
of  generation."  It  was  believed  that  Sater  con- 
sumed all  things  and  again  repaired  them.  Men 
were  in  closer  touch  in  those  days  with  matters  ce- 
lestial to  have  felt  the  mysterious  influences  of  all 
these  things  which  it  is  our  privilege  to  understand 
rationally  as  inherent  in  the  power  of  one  of  the 
centers  from  which  the  life  we  live  is  flowing  con- 
stantly to  us. 

Saturn's  influence  tends  to  fix  more  deeply  that 


Activities  of  the  Macrocosm  169 

of  other  planets.  He  rules  the  East  wind  which, 
moving  contrary  to  the  earth's  motion,  conduces 
greatly  to  dampness  and  depletes  the  electricity  in 
the  atmosphere.  This  is  one  reason  why  the  East 
wind  "  gets  onto  "  people's  nerves.  They  are  fail- 
ing to  receive  the  normal  supply,  but  the  remedy  is 
to  generate  it  within.  Fear  has  always  been  recog- 
nized as  the  active  expression  of  the  Saturn  prin- 
ciple, and  certainly  nothing  more  is  needed  to  iden- 
tify the  A  kasha  influence. 

Now  the  soul  and  life  of  the  whole  Solar  System 
is  the  solar  orb,  and  the  human  "  soul  is  as  a  spirit- 
ual sun,  corresponding  in  all  things  with  the  solar 
orb."  If  it  permits  evil  to  exist  in  its  sphere  —  the 
microcosm  —  that  evil  will  attract  corresponding 
astral  influences  from  the  macrocosm.  Disturbing 
influences  can  thus,  of  course,  enter  the  body  as  the 
Tattvas  change  in  their  normal  course ;  but  thought 
has  the  power  either  to  subdue  them  when  they  ap- 
pear or  to  repel  them  before  they  find  entrance, 
through  holding  tenaciously  thoughts  of  serene 
confidence.  Imagination  is  the  architect,  and 
thought  the  builder.  We  must  have  a  perfect 
plan  and  use  good  materials  if  we  would  protect 
our  bodies  from  the  external  disturbing  thought- 
influences  to  which  every  organ  is  more  or  less  sen- 
sitive. Its  receptivity  depends  upon  us. 

Excessive  indulgence  in  the  gratification  of  any 
special  sense-pleasure  tends  to  exaggerate  the 


fiyo     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath* 

Tattva  ruling  that  sense  to  an  unwholesome  degree. 
Thus  the  intensifying  of  one  color  may  be  the 
extinction  of  others,  and  at  least  casts  an  evil  shade 
upon  them;  and  this,  of  course,  affects  the  whole 
current  of  Prdna,  disturbing  the  Tattvlc  balance. 
Many  diseases,  petty  and  grave,  result  from  no 
other  cause. 

The  fact  must  never  be  lost  sight  of  that  spirit- 
ual energy  differs  from  physical  energy  almost  as 
much  as  does  light  from  darkness.  It  is  not  de- 
pendent upon  these  celestial  currents  of  ether  which 
carry  the  renewing  elements  of  physical  matter,  but 
is  itself  one  with  that  even  more  subtle  force  that 
permits  them  to  manifest  on  the  gross,  visible 
plane.  It  is  the  only  unchangeable  Principle 
within  us,  the  real  substance  which  never  disin- 
tegrates. 

The  power  to  control  the  physical  self  and  make 
of  it  the  perfect  vehicle  it  is  intended  to  be  for  the 
growth  and  development  of  this  spiritual  self,  is 
gained  more  rapidly  by  persistent  and  regular  prac- 
tice of  the  Alternate  and  Held-breath  exercises, 
and  by  thoughtful  attention  from  time  to  time  to 
deep  rhythmic  breathing,  than  by  any  other  system 
of  discipline  and  study  or  therapeutic  regime  that 
I  know  of.  I  have  already  advocated  this  so 
earnestly  and  so  repeatedly  that  further  word  or 
explanation  seems  superfluous. 


Activities  of  the  Macrocosm  171 

Exhaustion  is  due  entirely  to  the  disordered 
state  of  the  human  battery,  and  in  this  condition  all 
organic  functions  are  lowered  in  tone  and  quickly 
reflect  that  disorder.  Neither  lungs,  skin,  nor 
kidneys  have  sufficient  energy  to  eliminate  the  rap- 
idly accumulating  wastes;  hence  vital  centers  be- 
come clogged,  and  serious  disease  sets  in  wherever 
the  physical  structure  is  weakest.  The  first  need 
at  such  times  is  to  renew  the  battery  and  restore 
the  balance  of  the  disordered  currents  of  vital 
force;  and  the  media  for  doing  this  —  breathing 
exercises  —  is  so  simple,  so  easy  to  apply,  that  the 
most  helpless  invalid,  if  the  mind  be  sane  and 
capable  of  directing,  can  employ  it  for  regenerat- 
ing the  whole  being.  Both  nerve  and  blood  cir- 
culation —  and  thereby  all  functions  —  are  stim- 
ulated more  by  this  method  than  by  any  possible 
physical  culture  exercises. 

And  here  a  caution  is  timely:  There  is  a  vast 
difference  in  attempting  to  exercise  "  healing " 
power  from  without,  as  when  denying  disease  and 
pain,  and  working  from  within  outward  in  affirma- 
tion of  the  desired  condition.  The  resulting 
atomic  vibrations  and  the  potencies  involved  are 
very  different.  The  one  is  a  species  of  constraint, 
the  other  is  free,  upward  guidance. 

We  must  strive  for  poise  and  tranquillity,  for 
repose  and  confidence;  which,  manifesting  them- 


172!     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

selves  in  good  colors  —  favorable  Tattvas  — 
draw  good  and  pure  colors,  and  help  to  build  purer 
and  stronger  the  life  thus  aiming  for  the  highest 
and  the  best. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

'MORE   ABOUT   MACROCOSMIC    ACTIVITIES    IN   THE 
MICROCOSM 

WITH  the  identification  of  Saturn  as  the 
highest    manifestation    upon    a    visible 
plane  of  Akdshic  activity,   the  way  is 
made  plain  for  us  to  read  God's  handwriting  in  the 
heavens,    where   he   plainly    discloses   the   whole 
scheme  of  creation  —  the   descent  of  spirit  into 
matter  through  the  gradually  increasing  density  of 
the  same,  primarily  simple,  elements  ever  growing 
more  complicated  by  repeated  permutations  as  they 
become  more  gross. 

This  is  the  secret  of  the  fact  that  "  The  chem- 
istry of  all  parts  of  space  is  the  same."  But  the 
puzzle  of  the  scientist  in  all  his  investigations  is  the 
ever-recurring  Akdsha  —  the  neutral  point,  the 
Sushumnd,  into  which  all  activities  disappear  or 
merge.  He  calls  it  usually  X ;  that  is  unknown  — 
hence  the  X-ray;  and  the  Gamma-ray  of  radium  is 
thus  classed.  The  ether  of  science  is  the  grossest 
manifestation  of  Akdsha,  though  Mme.  Blavatsky 
says  that  on  our  plane,  for  us  mortals,  it  is  the  sev- 

173 


174     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

enth  Principle  of  the  astral  light,  and  three  degrees 
higher  than  radiant  matter. 

In  Jupiter  the  predominant  Tattva  is  Fdyu,  next 
in  order  to  Akdsha.  When  near  together  Jupiter 
and  Saturn  disturb  each  other  more  than  do  any 
other  planets.  As  there  must  be  a  close  affinity 
between  ether  and  air  this  is  exactly  what  we 
should  expect;  but  were  it  not  for  the  vast  space 
separating  Jupiter  from  Mars  —  double  the  ratio 
of  that  between  other  planets  according  to  Bode's 
symmetrical  law  of  progression  —  there  would  be 
even  greater  disturbances  when  these  two  planets 
approach  each  other.  As  it  is,  the  violent  impact 
of  their  predominant  Tattvas  —  Air  and  Fire  — 
is  the  cause  of  thunder.  The  severity  and  preva- 
lence of  thunder  storms  depends  upon  their  aspects 
one  to  another. 

Examined  through  a  large  telescope,  the  Tattvic 
activities  in  Jupiter's  globe  present  a  beautiful 
picture  of  varied  and  changing  color,  olive-greens 
and  purple  mingling  with  the  more  predominant 
brown,  red,  and  yellow.  Although  well-defined 
zones  of  reddish  clouds  —  Tejas  vibrations  — 
stretch  around  the  sphere  parallel  with  Jupiter's 
equator,  all  these  masses  display  the  peculiarities 
of  clouds,  as  in  our  earth  atmosphere  of  air,  mov- 
ing with  varying  velocity  in  strong  aerial  currents 
and  constantly  changing  their  relative  positions. 

The    equatorial    belt    itself,    brilliantly    lemon- 


More  About  Macrocosmic  Activities     175; 

hued  or  sometimes  ruddy,  shows  Prithivi,  and  the 
region  is  sprinkled  over  with  balloon-shaped  white 
masses  which  are  naturally  Apas.  These  move 
faster  than  the  dark  and  brighter-hued  masses. 
The  famous  "  great  red  spot,"  of  vast  dimensions, 
is  an  exception  to  the  other  evanescent  phenomena ; 
for,  though  changing  hue  from  time  to  time,  its 
stability  of  position  has  been  an  important  aid  to 
the  astronomer  in  ascertaining  not  merely  data 
concerning  Jupiter  but  important  facts  in  physics. 
The  rapidity  of  changes  upon  the  surface  of  the 
planet  indicate  to  the  scientist  "  a  temperature  not 
much  short  of  incandescence."  We  who  know  the 
qualities  of  the  Tattvas  can  recognize  the  source 
of  this  as  the  Tejas  of  the  "  great  red  spot,"  the 
next  Tattva  evolved  after  Fdyu.  Towards  the 
poles  of  the  planet  the  pure  Jupiter  vibration  — 
Fdyu  —  is  seen  in  a  vast  expanse  of  blue  and  blue- 
grey. 

When  favorably  placed  in  a  nativity,  the  in- 
fluence of  Jupiter  promotes  a  fortunate  and  hon- 
ored life,  and  therefore  he  has  been  called  "  the 
god  of  fortune."  Seen  with  the  naked  eye  the 
planet  is  a  beautiful  object,  shining  with  a  silvery- 
white  light;  and  it  was  so  placed  during  the  winter 
of  1906-7  that  no  cloudless  nights  could  possibly 
be  very  dark.  On  moonless  nights  Jupiter  may 
cast  a  shadow  on  the  snow. 

Astrologically  considered,  Jupiter  represents  the 


176     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

temperate,  moist  element  in  nature,  its  special  func- 
tion being  to  disintegrate  and  help  to  germinate; 
that  is,  to  promote  change  in  all  things  visible, 
and  this  we  know  to  be  the  special  attribute  of 
Fayu, —  motion,  tireless,  ceaseless  motion,  for 
which  Akdsha  is  ever  at  hand  providing  the  space. 
The  color  and  number  of  Jupiter's  four  moons  is 
further  corroboration  of  the  Tattvic  Law.  There 
are  two  blue  satellites  and  one  red  and  one  yellow. 
The  Apas  Tattva  in  the  Jupiter  atmosphere 
would  reflect  blue  just  as  a  body  of  water  on 
the  earth  reflects  the  blue  of  an  azure  sky  above  it. 
Thus  the  Jupiter  system  reflects  the  law  of  system 
within  system,  every  Truti  of  which  manifests  the 
whole  law. 

The  characteristics  of  Mars,  in  which  Tejas  pre- 
dominates, have  always  been  so  striking  that  there 
is  a  gratifying  agreement  in  all  speculations,  rec- 
ords, and  legends  concerning  the  planet.  There 
is  great  antagonism  between  Mars  and  Venus, 
as  why  should  there  not  be  since  water  extinguishes 
fire?  Therefore,  to  secure  a  measure  of  stability, 
our  earth  comes  between  these  natural  enemies  as 
a  pacificator;  and  this  greater  planetary  stability  is 
reflected  in  the  Tattvic  changes  in  our  bodies, 
which  are  smoother,  more  harmonious  and  imper- 
ceptible, flowing  from  Tejas  into  Prithivi  and  then 
into  'Apas  than  could  be  the  case  if  Apas  came  next 
to  Tejas. 


More  About  Macrocosmic  Activities     177 

Fevers  and  chills,  blushing,  and  sudden  waves 
of  upheaving  discord  flowing  through  the  body  are 
all  manifestations  of  disorder  in  the  flow  of  the 
Tattvas,  but  more  especially  of  Tejas.  And  al- 
ways the  remedy  is  to  face  the  situation  —  no  mat- 
ter what  the  cause  —  with  mental  poise  and  con- 
fidence; directing,  as  long  as  the  disturbance  lasts, 
frequent  repetitions  of  the  exercise  in  Alternate 
Breathing,  and  regularly  inhaling  deep,  full, 
rhythmic  breaths.  Remember  that  for  all  chilly 
conditions  the  Held  Breath  is  most  efficacious.  It 
may  be  repeated,  with  concentration  mainly  upon 
the  feet  and  the  solar  plexus,  till  perspiration  is 
induced. 

Through  a  telescope,  Mars  displays  white  at  the 
polar  caps;  but  the  ardent,  fiery  orb  appears,  even 
to  the  naked  eye  when  favorably  situated  for  ob- 
servation, of  a  reddish  or  orange  hue.  The  fiery 
strength  of  Tejas  vibrations,  called  into  increased 
activity  by  all  emotion  and  by  intense  feeling  and 
by  love,  have  always  been  recognized  as  stimulat- 
ing the  passions  of  man  to  strife  and  war;  hence 
Mars  was  the  god  of  war.  During  the  rare  pe- 
riods of  peace  in  Old  Rome,  all  the  panoply  and 
pageantry  of  war,  including  the  gorgeous  red  man- 
tles, were  treasured  in  the  Temple  of  Mars. 

The  planet  Mars  is  said  to  be  always  an  enemy 
of  Mercury,  but  this  is  the  evil  aspect  of  Mars — 
the  contentious  state  of  the  planetary  vibrations 


The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

which  struggle  against  the  higher  and  purer  condi- 
tions of  the  Mercury  influence.  These  are  felt  by 
all  human  beings  in  the  proportion  that  they  permit 
themselves  to  be  swayed  by  passion  and  excitement 
without  restraint  of  reason  and  will.  Even  so- 
called  "  just  "  indignation  injects  disorder  disturb- 
ing the  rhythm  and  harmony  of  Tatrvic  activities 
within,  and  should  be  shunned. 

When  fortunately  placed  at  birth  the  influence 
of  Mars  gives  to  a  character  earnestness,  patience, 
determination,  and  courage  combined  with  gentle- 
ness. But  the  cruel,  tyrannical,  unjust  man,  al- 
ways quarrelsome  and  often  a  vain  boaster,  is 
under  the  influence  of  Mars'  most  malefic  vibra- 
tions. He  is  his  own  worst  enemy,  but  unfortu- 
nately makes  an  atmosphere  of  unhappiness 
wherever  he  may  be.  He  can  win  his  freedom 
only  through  self-conquest,  and  that  is  what  his 
free  will  is  for.  I  must  insistently  reiterate  that 
every  human  being  has  the  power  to  choose  be- 
tween the  Tattvic  vibrations  which  may  thrill  him 
with  harmony  or  rend  him  with  discord.  The 
rays  of  certain  Tattvic  states  will  be  reflected  only 
when  the  surface  is  akin.  Our  thoughts  govern 
that  and  attract  to  us  our  affinities.  If  we  think 
passion  and  hate,  Tejas  is  ever  ready  to  supply  the 
fuel.  Every  exhibition  of  ungoverned  passion  in 
man  is  a  microcosmic  cyclone,  the  path  of  whose 


More  About  Macrocosmic  Activities     179 

destruction  is  limited  only  by  the  chances  of  en- 
vironment. 

Although  the  earth,  the  most  important  planet 
to  us,  is  commonly  ignored  in  considering  the  plan- 
etary correspondences  with  the  Tattvas,  and  the 
source  of  the  Prhhivic  current  has  been  severally 
attributed  to  the  Sun,  Mercury,  and  Jupiter,  I 
deem  this  not  merely  short-sighted  but  a  grave 
error,  the  only  rational  solution  of  which  is  that  it 
was  done  in  the  first  place  "  as  a  blind  " —  a  reason 
Mme.  Blavatsky  assigns  for  many  puzzles.  To 
do  this  is  to  take  the  earth  out  of  its  orbit,  so  to 
speak,  and  make  of  it  an  exception  to  the  law.  It 
is  but  logical  to  believe  that  as  the  Akdshic  current 
emanates  in  greater  force  from  Saturn,  and  the 
Fdyu  from  Jupiter,  so  does  also  the  Prithivic  cur- 
rent emanate  as  the  ruling  Tattva  from  our  Mother 
Earth.  If  we  accept  this  as  proved  through  the 
invariability  of  Natural  Law,  it  explains  perfectly 
the  reason  for  the  preponderating  flow  of  Prithivi 
in  our  Prdnlc  life-currents  (see  Chapter  XIII). 
It  is  the  Tattva  of  our  environment,  and  in  its  nor- 
mal flow  puts  us  and  holds  us  in  sympathy  with  that 
environment. 

Now,  please  do  not  ask  me  how  you  are  to  know 
when  this  Tattva,  or  any  other  special  one,  is  flow- 
ing normally  or  is  disturbed.  I  have  described  the 
varied  activities  and  effects  of  the  different  Tattvas 


1 80     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

within  the  human  entity  with  much  more  detail  than 
has  ever  been  before  attempted.  I  have  analyzed 
them  as  only  long  study  and  unceasing  practice  and 
experiment  could  enable  one  to  do,  and  I  gladly 
give  to  you  the  benefit  of  my  research  expressed  as 
fully  and  as  clearly  as  love  for  the  task  and  enthu- 
siasm of  purpose  can  do  it.  I  cannot,  however, 
supply  the  application  and  the  perseverance  indi- 
vidually needed  before  you  can  make  this  detail 
your  own.  Without  the  exercise  of  these  faculties, 
you  can  never  hope  to  gain  a  practical  knowledge 
of  the  Tattvas.  It  is  not  a  thing  that  can  be 
poured  over  you  "  in  words,  mere  words."  You 
must  think  yourself.  Remember  what  I  told  you 
in  an  early  chapter:  that  the  Hindu  teacher  never 
imparts  any  fact  to  a  student  which  by  long  medi- 
tation he  can  find  out  for  himself. 

It  is  not  by  once  reading,  but  only  after  many 
readings  and  much  thinking  that  you  can  reason- 
ably expect  to  master  the  mass  of  detail  contained 
in  these  chapters;  the  difficulty  being  the  greater 
because  the  subject  is  —  to  most  readers  —  abso- 
lutely novel.  But  it  is  only  by  thus  mastering  it 
that  anyone  can  make  a  personal  application  of  this 
Law  of  Life. 

When  our  feet  press  the  earth  we  receive  the 
strongest  and  purest  vibrations  of  Prithivi,  which 
is  the  secret  of  the  exhilaration  we  feel  when  we 
can  get  into  the  real  country,  and  of  the  benefit 


More  About  Macrocosmic  Activities     i8r 

to  nerves  and  soul  derived  from  long  country 
tramps.  This  fact  also  discloses  the  deep  philoso- 
phy of  Father  Kneipp's  barefoot  treatment.  In 
the  early  morning,  before  the  day's  struggle  and 
conflict  have  generated  discord  (this  especially  in 
large  communities  where  human  beings  are  herded 
closely),  the  vibrations  are  at  the  highest  state  of 
harmonic  activity;  and  when  the  feet  tread  the 
dew-wet  grass,  the  double  benefit  is  gained  of  re- 
ceiving the  two  most  favorable  Tattvas  in  their 
freshest  and  most  refined,  highly  electrified  states. 
On  our  planet,  the  Prithivi  vibrations  are  negative 
to  Tejas  (Mars)  and  positive  to  Apas  (Venus) ; 
thus  water  is  negative  to  the  earth.  Most  dwellers 
in  large  cities,  where  the  earth  is  for  the  most  part 
solidly  incased  in  stone  and  brick  and  asphalt,  are 
grievously  handicapped,  for  it  is  seldom  that  their 
feet  come  in  direct  contact  with  Mother  Earth. 
The  efficacy  of  mud-baths  is  derived  from  the  earth 
vibrations,  but  like  benefits  can  be  obtained  by  en- 
couraging in  more  congenial  ways  the  flow  of 
'Prithivi/ 

The  planetary  influence  of  Venus  upon  terrestrial 
life  is  very  important  as  the  A pas  Tattva  which 
predominates  in  that  near  and  brilliant  planet  is 
the  unifying  element  that  gives  to  organized  mat- 
ter its  quality  of  stability.  In  dry  seasons  all  the 
green  things  of  earth  suffer  and  many  of  them 
quickly  fade  and  perish  because  Mars  unites  with 


1 82     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

the  Sun  to  divert  or  absorb  the  cooling  and  refresh- 
ing Apas  vibrations  from  Venus,  and  their  own 
rays  increase  proportionally  in  fervor  and  burning 
power. 

As  five-sixths  of  the  human  body  is  composed  of 
water  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  oppor- 
tunity be  given  for  the  fullest  normal  play  of  the 
Apas  Tattva;  and  this,  you  will  remember,  re- 
quires that  the  lowest  cells  in  the  lungs  be  filled. 
Tight-lacing  inhibits  this  absolutely,  as  it  holds  the 
lower  lobes  of  the  lungs  in  a  vise-like  grip;  and 
usually  it  prevents  anything  approaching  a  free 
movement  of  the  diaphragm.  The  practice  is 
slow  suicide,  yet  women  revive  the  iniquitous  cus- 
tom —  as  at  present  —  whenever  fashion  gives  the 
command.  The  stability  of  Apas  is  recognized 
in  that  manifestation  of  Prdna  which  is  known  as 
Fydna;  the  force  which,  during  life,  keeps  the 
whole  body  in  shape  and  resists  the  breaking  down 
and  disintegration  of  its  tissues. 

Next  to  the  deprivation  of  fresh  air,  perhaps 
the  most  prolific  source  of  human  ills  is  from  stint- 
ing the  body  in  its  supply  of  pure  water  inside  and 
out.  As  a  rule,  those  who  drink  water  most  freely, 
take  it  when  they  should  not, —  with  their  meals, 
when  the  important  digestive  fluids  need  to  be 
undiluted  in  order  to  put  in  their  fine  work.  The 
greatest  benefit  derived  from  visits  to  famous  Euro- 
pean "  cures  "  is  due  not  half  so  much  to  the  sge- 


More  About  Macrocosmic  Activities    1183 

cial  virtue  of  the  mineral  water  as  to  the  fact  that 
for  several  weeks  the  business  of  life  is  the  drink- 
ing of  water  in  quantities  limited  only  by  the  ability 
to  swallow  it.  If  people  formed  the  habit  of 
drinking  pure  water  freely  between  meals  and,  es- 
pecially, the  last  thing  at  night  and  the  first  thing 
in  the  morning,  they  would  not  need  to  "  take  the 
cure." 

Water  is  the  mystical  symbol  of  the  soul  because 
it  is  ever  chemically  pure.  While  it  is  the  great 
solvent,  it  is  also  the  absolvent  and  purifier,  for 
whatever  of  foulness  it  takes  up  is  held  in  suspen- 
sion and  can  be  eliminated  by  distillation.  And 
thus  it  is  with  the  soul.  Its  "  saving "  is  the 
choice  of  freeing  itself  from  the  passions  and  er- 
rors of  the  material,  sense  life.  The  pure,  self- 
controlled  soul  and  the  physical  body  wherein  it 
dwells  —  which  ever  and  always  reflects  the  power 
controlling  it  —  are  alike  freed  from  the  Karma 
and  the  impurity  of  unfavorable  planetary  vibra- 
tions which  sow  discord  and  incite  to  evil. 

Never  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  the  Sun  is  the 
source  of  the  Prdnic,  or  life-current,  which  contains 
in  itself  all  the  Tattvas;  but  the  variations  in  the 
proportions  of  the  Tattvas  injected  into  the  life- 
current  come  from  the  planetary  currents,  in  every 
one  of  which  the  ruling  Tattva  of  the  planet  pre- 
dominates. It  is  interesting  to  know  that  the  spec- 
trum of  Venus  shows  the  presence  of  watery  vapor. 


1 84     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

Thus  it  is  that  the  activities  of  the  macrocosm  are 
reflected  in  the  microcosm. 

It  is  in  the  pulmonary  manifestation  of  Prdna 
that  the  Tattvic  condition  of  the  vital  currents  can 
be  most  indisputably  ascertained;  for  every  Tattva 
throws  the  elastic  spongy  cells  of  the  lungs  into  the 
from  of  its  characteristic  vibration.  Thus  when 
the  'A pas  Tattva  is  prevalent,  the  cells  expand  in 
crescent-like  shape.  When  Tejas  predominates, 
they  are  triangular,  and  with  Fdyu,  spherical ;  and 
various  modifications  of  these  geometrical  forms 
indicate  the  Tattvic  permutations.  The  test  sug- 
gested for  examining  these  is  to  hold  a  brilliant- 
surfaced  mirror  before  the  mouth  to  intercept  the 
exhalations.  The  vapor  as  it  condenses  upon  the 
cool  surface  will  take  the  form  of  the  vibration 
dominant  at  the  moment;  and  it  can  be  best  seen  by 
another  person  looking  over  the  shoulder  of  the 
one  whose  breath  is  under  examination,  as  of  course 
these  vapor  cells  are  extremely  evanescent. 

We  have  now  identified  the  planetary  corre- 
spondencies with  all  the  Tattvas,  and  there  yet 
remains  the  smallest  and  swiftest  of  the  heavenly 
host,  Mercury,  who  yields  nothing  in  importance 
to  the  more  brilliant  and  better-known  orbs.  He 
is  the  bond  of  union,  and  truly  "  the  messenger 
of  the  gods."  How  he  performs  this  office  I  shall 
try  to  make  plain  in  the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

MERCURY  AND  THE  ACTIVITIES  OF  THE  SUSHUMNA 

<*TT  "IT  ERMES,  as  the  messenger  of  God, 
I  I  reveals  to  us  His  paternal  will,  and 

JL  -*-  —  developing  in  us  intuition  —  im- 
parts to  us  knowledge.  The  knowledge  which 
descends  into  the  soul  from  above,  excels  any  that 
can  be  attained  by  the  mere  exercise  of  the  intel- 
lect." 

This  quotation  from  the  Neoplatonist  Proclus 
is  a  most  fitting  introduction  to  our  study  of  the 
influence  of  the  planet  Mercury  —  called  by  the 
Greeks,  "Hermes" — upon  human  life,  for  by 
the  illuminating  light  of  the  Tattvic  Law  we  are 
able  to  remove  the  statement  from  the  realm  of 
"  mere  speculation,"  to  which  it  has  been  indul- 
gently relegated  for  centuries,  and  to  feel  convinced 
of  the  intuitional  truth  embodied  in  the  ancient 
Greek  thought.  All  scientific  data  concerning  the 
planet  Mercury  as  well  as  the  fables  and  ancient 
myths  connecting  planet  and  god  are  strictly  in 
harmony  with  what  I  believe  to  be  Mercury's 

185 


1 86     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

activities  and  influences,  whether  heavenly  or  ter- 
restrial. 

Briefly  reviewing  the  first  mentioned,  we  learn 
that  as  a  stellar  body  Mercury  is  exceptional  in 
many  ways,  and  has  always  baffled  the  astronomer 
in  his  efforts  to  obtain  accurate  data  concerning  its 
constitution  and  environment.  It  is  the  smallest 
planet  in  diameter  but  the  swiftest  in  motion;  has 
the  least  mass  but  the  greatest  density,  being  two 
and  one-fourth  times  denser  than  the  earth,  and 
only  slightly  less  dense  than  the  metal  mercury;  is 
nearest  to  the  sun  and  has  the  most  eccentric  orbit. 
As  seen  from  the  sun,  Mercury  passes  through  one 
constellation  of  the  Zodiac  in  a  fraction  over  seven 
days,  completing  the  circuit  of  the  Zodiac  in 
eighty-eight  days;  and  as  seen  from  the  earth  it 
makes  three  complete  circuits  of  the  sun  in  three 
hundred  and  forty-eight  days.  Also  from  our 
point  of  view,  the  planet  is  usually  in  the  same  con- 
stellation with  the  sun,  and  is  never  farther  away 
than  a  nearby  sign. 

The  astronomer  considers  it  more  than  doubtful 
if  Mercury  has  any  atmosphere,  and  it  has  no  satel- 
lite. When  it  can  be  observed  in  the  same  tele- 
scopic field  with  Venus,  its  totally  different  con- 
stitution is  plainly  betrayed  by  its  markedly  lower 
Albedo,  or  reflecting  power;  for  Mercury  ap- 
pears as  zinc  or  lead  contrasted  with  the  dazzling 
silver-white  radiance  of  Venus.  Now,  I  should 


Activities  of  the  Sushumna  187 

like  you  to  remember,  in  this  connection,  that 
wherever  or  whenever  the  Apas  Tattva  —  most 
prevalent  in  Venus  —  can  be  isolated,  it  is  recog- 
nized by  its  glistening  silvery  whiteness.  It  is  said 
to  impart  a  silvery  edge  to  the  human  aura. 

I  wish  I  knew  how  many  of  my  readers  could 
answer  the  question:  What  are  the  three  prin- 
cipal Nadis  in  the  physical  body?  Those  who 
cannot  would  better  re-read  Chapter  XII.  and  fix 
firmly  in  their  minds  the  names  and  offices  of  "  the 
great  main  reservoir  and  conduits  of  life-force." 
You  will  understand  perfectly  then  that  thePingala, 
on  the  right  side  of  the  spine,  is  the  conduit  of  the 
solar  current  (positive),  and  the  Ida,  on  the  left 
side,  of  the  lunar  current  (negative)  ;  and,  there- 
fore, these  Nddis  correspond  respectively  with  the 
sun  and  the  moon  and  are  influenced  by  their  activ- 
ities. With  what  does  the  Sushumna,  in  which  the 
two  currents  meet,  correspond? 

In  our  study  of  planetary  relations  and  influences, 
we  have  traced  the  correspondence  of  the  organic 
activities  in  the  human  body  with  the  whole  solar 
system,  and  the  truth  of  the  old  Greek  aphorism, 
"  As  it  is  above,  so  is  it  below,"  has  been  made  to 
us  a  living  reality.  :<  When  once  your  attention 
is  drawn  to  the  fact,  you  will  constantly  come  upon 
proof  that  to  many  ancient  people  this  was  a  fa- 
miliar truth.  Bacon  says  the  ancients  styled  man, 
"  a  little  world  in  himself."  Now,  the  correspond- 


1 88     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

ence  of  the  constellations  of  the  Zodiac  and  the 
planets  with  all  the  organs  of  the  human  body 
through  its  nervous  system  is  but  the  microcosmic 
reflection  of  the  vast  system  of  Kosmic  vibrations. 
Therefore,  in  the  solar  system  we  must  find  the 
Kosmic  Sushumna  in  which  the  solar  and  lunar 
currents  meet. 

In  the  progress  of  the  human  soul,  in  its  evolu- 
tion, its  growth  and  development,  there  is  nothing 
more  important  than  the  office  of  the  Sushumna. 
Consequently  it  is  inconceivable  that  it  has  not  a 
Kosmic  prototype  of  equal  importance  to  the  solar 
system.  In  the  gloaming,  at  dawn  and  at  twi- 
light, the  solar  and  lunar  currents  meet  in  the  Kos- 
mic Sushumna.  The  identification  of  Mercury  as 
this  Sushumna  of  the  macrocosm  makes  perfectly 
clear  and  comprehensible  all  the  dignities,  attributes, 
and  influences  which  legend  and  fable  have  con- 
ferred upon  the  planet,  both  actually  and  sym- 
bolically; and  explains  many  of  the  characteristics 
that  have  puzzled  the  astronomer.  No  other 
planet  possesses  any  attributes  that  connect  it  with 
the  office  of  the  Sushumna. 

Again  giving  precedence  to  known  facts,  our  first 
clue  is  that  Mercury  is  in  the  closest  Kosmical  re- 
lation to  the  sun.  Indeed,  so  close  is  it  that  only 
the  patient  observer  who  keeps  in  touch  with  the 
movements  of  the  planet  and  knows  when  and 
where  to  look  for  it  ever  sees  it.  There  is  a  tra- 


Activities  of  the  Sushumnsj  189 

dition  that  the  eyes  of  Copernicus  were  never  grat- 
ified by  the  sight  of  this  swift  solar  attendant.  In 
the  latitude  of  New  York  and  neighboring  States, 
for  about  a  fortnight  during  its  greatest  Eastern 
elongation  from  the  sun,  Mercury  can  be  seen  in 
the  early  twilight  just  before  its  setting;  and  for  a 
like  period  when  the  planet  is  West  of  the  sun,  ris- 
ing before  the  orb  of  day,  it  can  be  seen  in  the  early 
dawn.  During  the  first  weeks  of  December,  1906, 
Mercury  was  a  morning  star,  and  was  seen  in  close 
companionship  with  Venus.  These  neighboring 
planets  were  in  Scorpio ;  and  only  two  signs  to  the 
Southwest,  in  Virgo,  the  crescent  of  the  waning 
moon  was  in  conjunction  with  Mars.  The  spec- 
tacle was  unforgetably  beautiful, —  worth  many 
early  risings  to  enjoy. 

It  was  a  reminder,  also,  that  both  esoterically 
and  astrologically,  Mercury  and  Venus  are  consid- 
ered spiritual  affinities,  while  Mars  and  Saturn  are 
thought  to  have  a  close  physical  sympathy.  This 
latter  may  be  beneficial  or  harmful  according  as  the 
physical  is  kept  under  subjection  and  subordinated 
to  its  divinely  planned  office  as  a  perfectly  fitted 
vehicle  for  the  soul's  activities,  or  is  given  free  rein 
and  stifles  all  higher  interests. 

Now,  Mercury  is  the  unifying  element  between 
the  several  Principles  of  man  as  between  the  Tatt- 
vas.  The  strife  the  planet  arouses  is  that  it  is  ever 
impelling  upward  and  resists  downward  tenden- 


190      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

cies.  It  is  Mercury's  rod  that  pricks  the  con- 
science and  would  ever  extend  its  support  in  the 
struggle  against  wayward  impulses.  When  you 
fully  understand  the  entire  office  of  the  Sushumnd, 
this  will  be  quite  plain. 

Both  the  density  and  the  swiftness  of  Mercury 
are  accounted  for,  or  explained,  by  the  Tattvic 
state  of  Prdna  when  in  the  Sushumnd.  Of  course 
it  is  the  same  in  the  macrocosm  as  in  the  microcosm, 
only  on  a  vaster  scale.  Though  apparently  quies- 
cent during  the  moment  of  conjunction,  the  quies- 
cence is  but  seeming.  The  concentrated  energy 
of  the  Tattvas  through  their  closely  compacted 
atoms  in  the  united  currents  as  they  meet  in  the 
Sushumnd  produces  a  state  of  extreme  density. 
During  concentration,  when  alone  the  higher  office 
of  the  Sushumnd  is  called  into  activity,  the  velocity 
of  the  vibrations  is  stimulated  to  an  inconceivable 
speed. 

(Six  months  after  this  study  of  Mercury's  influ- 
ences was  first  set  in  type,  I  had  the  extreme  grati- 
fication of  finding  the  following  corroboration  of 
my  belief.  Alchemists  knew  "  Mercury  has  to  be 
ever  near  Isis  [the  moon]  as  her  minister,  as  with- 
out Mercury  neither  Isis  nor  Osiris  [the  sun]  can 
accomplish  anything  in  their  great  work." —  Secret 
Doctrine,  Vol.  i,  p.  388). 

Curiously  enough,  we  have  in  the  rise  of  mercury 
in  a  thermometer  a  perfect  symbol  of  the  rise  of  the 


Activities  of  the  Sushumna  191 

vital  force  in  the  Sushumna,  for  the  state  of  in- 
creased activity  and  density  and  vastly  increased 
velocity  is  also  one  of  rising  temperature.  The 
spinal  Sushumnd,  which  we  have  now  specially  to 
consider,  is  a  hollow  canal  in  the  center  of  the  spinal 
cord.  In  ordinary  persons  who  are  absorbed  in 
trivialities  and  purely  material  interests,  it  is  closed 
at  the  base,  the  point  of  union  between  the  Pin- 
gala  and  Ida,  where  the  residual  nervous  action  — 
the  memory  of  sensations  —  is  stored  in  the  sacral 
plexus.  This  canal  is  the  so-called  Occult  channel 
of  Prdna,  through  which,  when  roused  to  activity, 
the  coiled-up  latent  Prdna,  or  Kundalini,  ascends 
from  the  sacral  plexus  to  the  brain,  and  striking 
upon  the  pituitary  body  (the  will-energizer)  stim- 
ulates it  to  such  activity  that  it  in  turn  kindles  the 
spiritual  fire  of  the  pineal  gland.  The  first  hint 
the  student  has  that  he  is  rousing  this  slumbering 
power  is  a  sensation  of  warmth  in  the  basic  plexus 
—  the  Mulddhdri  of  the  Yogi  —  where  it  is 
"  coiled-up  "  ;  and  as  the  soul-governed  will  con- 
trols Prdna  and  holds  it  to  the  ascent  through  the 
canal,  the  heat  increases. 

All  aspirations  for  higher  things,  all  exaltation  of 
prayer  and  worship,  tend  to  set  free  a  minute  por- 
tion of  this  Kundalini,  the  "  coiled-up  one."  Thus, 
you  see,  the  path  to  "  the  Mystic  Realm  of  the 
Undiscovered  "  leads  through  the  Sushumnd.  We 
enter  it  in  meditation.  Often  unknowingly,  it  is 


192      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

traversed  by  many  a  rapt  enthusiast,  and  by  the  ar- 
dent inventor  who  wrests  Nature's  secrets  from  her 
vast  repositories.  Intuitional  truths  are  never  dis- 
covered elsewhere.  Swami  Vivekananda  says: 
;'  Wherever  there  is  any  manifestation  of  what  is 
ordinarily  called  supernatural  power  or  wisdom, 
there  must  have  been  a  little  current  of  Kundalinl 
which  found  its  way  into  the  Sushumna." 

The  data  concerning  Mercury's  close  associa- 
tion with  our  spiritual  natures  is  practically  with- 
out limit,  as  he  who  begins  to  search  will  find. 
The  symbol  of  the  planet  expresses  the  trinity  or 
three  in  one,  the  circle  representing  the  Spirit  be- 
cause without  beginning  or  end.  The  crescent  is 
the  reflection,  or  Soul, —  the  negative  of  the  Spirit 
as  is  the  Moon  of  the  Sun;  and  the  cross  typifies 
the  four  elements  of  the  physical,  or  gross,  plane 
of  activity.  There  are  four  elemental  divisions, 
called  the  "  triplicities,"  of  the  Zodiac,  and  Mer- 
cury's influence  in  the  varying  signs  is  distinct. 
The  astrologer  Hazelrigg  finds  all  the  planetary 
symbols  equally  significant  with  that  of  Mercury, 
and  believes  none  to  be  arbitrary  signs,  which  is  in 
agreement  with  all  Occult  teaching. 

In  all  ancient  lore,  we  find  Mercury  accredited 
as  ruling  the  mind.  Everywhere  in  myth  and 
story  he  is  sent  as  the  interpreter  and  messenger 
to  the  understanding  and  reason  of  man.  Even 
the  thievish  disposition  attributed  to  Mercury  sym« 


Activities  of  the  Sushumna  193 

bolized  the  facility  with  which  reason  and  under- 
standing appropriate  all  knowledge.  The  very 
term  thought  is  said  by  Anna  Kingsford  to  be  "  the 
Egyptian  equivalent  for  Hermes,  the  God  Thaut, 
frequently  written  Thoth;  these  being  for  the 
Greeks  and  Egyptians  the  personification  of  the 
Divine  Intelligence,"  that  is,  His  messenger.  The 
same  Spirit  was  manifested  to  the  Hebrew  as  Raph- 
ael,—  like  Hermes  called  "  the  physician  of 
souls; "  and  to  the  Hindu  as  Buddhi. 

One  of  the  chief  glories  of  Hermes  was  his  con- 
quest of  the  hundred-eyed  Argus,  which  denotes, 
Mrs.  Kingsford  says :  "  The  victory  of  the  un- 
derstanding over  fate.  For  Argus  represents  the 
power  of  thetstars  over  the  unenfranchised  soul." 
This  corroborates  what  I  have  constantly  endeav- 
ored to  make  emphatic,  that  the  power  of  human 
thought  guided  by  reason  can  change  the  planetary 
currents.  The  powers  of  reason  and  understand- 
ing to  which  Mercury  guides  us  are  above  mere 
cold  intellection.  It  is  the  stifling  of  pure  reason 
by  the  exaltation  of  the  human  sense-governed 
mind  that  produced  the  rank  materialism  which  has 
marked  recent  decades  and  from  which  Higher 
Thought  is  freeing  the  race  of  mankind. 

The  Roman  name  Mercury,  by  which  we  desig- 
nate the  planet,  comes  from  merx,  merchandise. 
Their  god  was  of  a  much  more  material  and  sordid 
character  than  the  Greek  Hermes  with  whom  they 


194      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

identified  him,  which  betrays  the  truth  that  the  peo- 
ple had  degenerated  and  become  more  material. 
They  chose  to  degrade  "  Hermes  *  *  * 
Archangel,  who  bears  the  rod  of  knowledge  by 
which  all  things  in  heaven  and  earth  are  measured  " 
(The  Perfect  Way^  p.  367),  to  a  crafty,  commer- 
cial god. 

The  farther  back  we  go  the  more  elemental, 
more  spiritual  are  all  the  gods.  Zeus  is  believed 
to  have  meant  originally  "  the  glistening  ether." 
Hindu  genius  spiritualizes  its  sense-conceptions 
with  wonderful  readiness.  The  more  remotely 
their  myths  are  traced  the  more  "  atmospheric  " 
do  they  become.  The  more  the  god  merges  with 
the  planet  and  its  ensouling  Force.  •» 

A  concluding  word  as  to  practice:  When  our 
wills  hold  our  minds  in  check  and  thus  restrain  the 
scattering  of  forces  through  wasteful  and,  oftener 
than  not,  discordant  activities,  the  Prdnic  currents 
flow  rhythmically  and  gather  force  and  strength 
as  all  the  molecules  of  the  body  yield  to  the  har- 
mony and  tend  to  move  in  the  same  direction, — 
which  means  a  tremendous  gain  in  electric  power: 
Only  by  the  uplift  of  this  conscious  direction  can 
we  connect  with  the  great  Central  Dynamo,  the 
Divine  Spirit. 

Thus  the  soul-directed  thought  is  electrical,  it- 
self a  ray  of  spiritual  powers,  the  effectual  energy 
of  which  is  gauged  by  the  steadfastness  of  purpose, 


Activities  of  the  Sushumna  195 

the  soul-force,  which  directs  it.  Never  forget  that 
the  mind  which  is  the  disturber  and  disorganizer, 
creating  all  discord,  when  brought  under  control 
is  the  agent  of  our  freedom.  There  is  no  limit 
to  the  power  of  thought. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

.VITAL  CENTERS  FOR  CONCENTRATION 

I 

IT  should  be  very  clear  to  my  readers,  now,  that 
subtle  bonds  of  rhythmic  influence  connect 
every  human  being  with  the  vast  spaces  of  the 
universe,  and  open  to  him  illimitable  resources  if 
he  but  uses  them  aright.  But  alas!  This  is  the 
crux  of  the  problem.  How  many  use  them  aright  ? 
Even  the  knowing  how  does  not  confer  the  power 
to  do.  Desire  and  will  decide  that!  IT  IS 
ONLY  THROUGH  USE  THAT  KNOW- 
LEDGE BECOMES  A  HABIT  AND  THEN 
A  POWER! 

What  is  the  purpose  of  concentration?  It  is  to 
develop  power;  to  develop  the  best  there  is  in  the 
individual  through  gaining  control  of  the  lower 
Principles  and  using  the  higher  ones  latent  in 
every  human  being.  But  let  me  say  at  the  out- 
set of  this  study,  lest  some  students  have  an  en- 
tirely erroneous  idea  of  our  object:  //  is  not  to 
develop  psychic  powers.  No ;  our  object  —  a  fore- 
cast of  which  was  given  in  the  last  chapter  —  is 
far  higher,  vastly  more  important.  It  is,  first,  to 
complete  the  work  which  I  trust  is  already  well 

196 


Vital  Centers  for  Concentration        197 

begun  —  the  effort  to  obtain  control  of  the  mind ; 
that  wonderful  instrument  through  which  the  dy- 
namic power  of  thought  manifests;  by  controlling 
which  alone  we  can  hope  to  exercise  the  power  for 
good  only. 

Not  till  we  quiet  the  mind's  useless  activities,  and 
can  hold  it  in  leash,  an  obedient  servant  as  it  was 
designed  to  be,  can  we  hope  to  attain  the  higher 
reward  of  concentration  —  the  joy  —  the  benedic- 
tion —  of  a  realization  of  soul-consciousness. 
This  once  achieved  places  a  power  for  good  under 
the  control  of  a  soul-directed  Will  that  can  never 
fail  its  possessor  in  any  crisis. 

A  certain  measure  of  development  of  the  psychic 
senses  comes  as  a  natural  attribute  of  growing  spir- 
ituality, but  this  is  not  a  real  attainment  in  itself 
or  for  itself;  and  it  varies  greatly  in  degree  in  dif- 
ferent constitutions  and  according  to  how  it  is  em- 
ployed. When  made  an  end  and  aim  by  absorp- 
tion in  its  phenomena,  the  activities  of  mere  astral 
life  which  may  be  even  more  trivial  than  on  this  ter- 
restrial plane,  it  leads  to  gross  abuse  of  the  powers; 
blocks  irretrievably  self-conquest  and  spiritual  de- 
velopment, and  invites  untold  misery  in  manifold 
forms. 

You  have  learned  that  thought  is  the  creator  of 
force  within  these  bodies;  that  is,  the  form  of 
force  active  within  is  largely  determined  by  the 
mind's  habitual  thoughts,  and  the  ratio  of  the  vi- 


1 98!     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

brations  by  the  plane  of  its  activity.  Thus  it  is  a 
demonstrable  fact,  a  basic  law  of  nature  too  long 
ignored,  when  not  vehemently  denied,  that  with 
every  thought,  since  the  mind  reflects  its  vibrations 
upon  the  physical  plane  below,  we  are  moulding 
these  bodies  of  ours  to  ease  or  disease  (see  Chap- 
ter III).  Then  the  greatest  need  of  every  human 
being  is  to  gain  control  of  the  mind,  and  put  a  stop 
forever  and  aye  to  the  discordant  hash  which  the 
uncontrolled  mind  contrives  to  mix  out  of  the  or- 
dinary events  and  duties  of  life  from  hour  to  hour. 

Not  until  you  can  control  your  body  through 
you  mind  being  brought  under  control,  will  you  be 
freed  from  that  body's  whimsies !  When  you  have 
conquered  the  vehicle  (the  body),  it  will  be  your 
willing,  skillful  servant,  fulfilling  its  divinely  plan- 
ned purpose  of  furthering  growth  and  develop- 
ment instead  of  hampering  it.  Therefore,  before 
progress  can  be  made  upon  the  spiritual  plane,  it 
is  absolutely  necessary  to  obtain  physical  and  men- 
tal control,  to  bring  the  lower  Principles  into  work- 
ing harmony.  When  we  know  what  the  ideal  is, 
as  Swami  Vivekananda  said :  "  What  remains  is 
to  practice  the  methods  of  reaching  it." 

The  Swami's  inspired  aphorisms  prefatory  to 
Raja  Yoga  are  of  deep  significance  here : 

"  EACH  SOUL  is  POTENTIALLY  DIVINE.    THE 

GOAL  IS  TO  MANIFEST  THIS  DIVINITY  WITHIN  BY 


Vital  Centers  for  Concentration         199 

CONTROLLING      NATURE,      EXTERNAL      AND      IN- 
TERNAL." 

This  mischievous  mind,  which  uncontrolled 
turns  many  a  paradise  into  purgatory,  can  be  con- 
trolled for  good  only  through  a  soul-directed  and 
governed  WILL,  and  nothing  else  so  hastens  the 
attainment  of  this  mental  control  —  the  first  step- 
ping-stone towards  the  realization  of  soul-power 
—  as  the  practice  of  Concentration.  As  you  must 
well  understand  now,  it  is  the  only  method  of  rous- 
ing the  Kundalini;  also  called  "  The  Tree  of  Know- 
ledge," being  the  latent  Prana,  or  stored-up  resi- 
dual sensations  in  the  great  root-receptacle,  or  basic 
plexus.  When  this  force,  sleeping  in  every  human 
being,  is  awakened  through  concentration  it  ascends 
the  spinal  canal  by  slow  stages  from  one  center  to 
another,  gathering  strength  in  every  Padma,  till  it 
rouses  the  potencies  in  the  brain-centers  of  real  il- 
lumination. This  effort  brings  us  under  the  most 
beneficent  influence  of  Mercury, —  an  influence  that 
is  ever  striving  to  purify  us  and  lift  us  to  higher 
planes  of  living  and  thinking. 

Moreover,  concentration  is  the  only  entrance  to 
the  blessed  realm  of  Silence;  that  wordless  space 
vibrant  with  peace;  the  peace  of  exquisitely  subtle 
spiritual  force,  where  we  come  in  touch  with  the 
soul  of  things  and  thereby  find  our  own  souls.  In 
the  unspeakable  peace  of  this  precious  Silence,  the 


2OO     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

world  of  the  senses  disappears  in  a  conscious  rap- 
port with  the  vaster  universe  of  living  thought 
which  needs  no  words  to  clothe  its  meaning.  It 
is  the  "  Knowledge  space  "  of  the  Yogi. 

If  you  but  think  of  it  we  are  on  the  verge  of  Si- 
lence at  every  moment  of  existence.  Its  omnipres- 
ence laps  us  round  about  as  the  Universe  of  the 
invisible  and  inaudible,  teeming  with  activities  so 
infinitely  finer,  more  subtle,  that  they  escape  cog- 
nizance by  our  grosser  sense-perceptions.  At  any 
instant  when  we  can  shut  out  the  consciousness  of 
this  physical  environment  we  open  the  avenues  of 
that  consciousness  to  this  inner  silent  world,  and  the 
importance  of  the  experience  is  incalculable. 
Every  time  we  attain  it,  the  way  is  made  easier  to 
repeat  the  experience  till  it  carries  us  to  the  full 
realization  of  the  real  subjective  self. 

Remember  what  I  said  in  an  early  chapter: 
The  life-current  is  more  subtle  than  radio-activity, 
and  it  depends  upon  ourselves  to  how  high  power 
we  shall  raise  it.  The  holding  the  attention  —  all 
our  consciousness  —  to  a  given  point,  as  when  cen- 
tering upon  a  special  plexus  or  organ,  accelerates 
the  velocity  of  the  Tattvic  vibrations  and,  there- 
fore, the  force  of  Prdna.  This  effect  and  benefit 
are  the  immediate  reward  for  the  regular  practice 
of  the  Held-Breath  exercise  for  Prdndyama,  in 
which,  through  the  polarization  of  the  vital  cur- 
rents greatly  increased  power  is  generated  and  the 


Vital  Centers  for  Concentration         201 

whole  nervous  system  is  energized.  The  benefit 
derived  from  the  exercise  is  in  exact  ratio  to  the 
success  of  the  student  in  holding  the  current  men- 
tally to  the  designated  center.  A  good  beginning 
is  thus  made  in  mental  control,  for  the  brain  ap- 
propriates its  full  share  of  the  energy,  gains  stead- 
iness and  flexibility,  and  the  memory  is  quickened. 
All  mental  effort  is  made  easier  and  more  fruitful, 
and  the  voice  —  so  intimately  associated  with  our 
mentality  —  gains  sweetness  and  fullness  of  tone, 
evidencing  the  increasing  harmony  of  the  life. 
All  harsh,  uneven,  and  strident  tones  can  thus  be 
overcome. 

In  concentration  we  develop  still  higher  power 
—  the  power  of  higher  forces  on  higher  planes  of 
activity.  With  regard  to  these  varying  planes, 
please  remember  that  every  one  is  positive  to  the 
next  below  and  negative  to  the  one  above ;  and  that 
the  higher  they  are  the  finer,  swifter,  and  more 
subtle  are  the  vibrations.  As  you  progress,  gain- 
ing more  and  more  control  over  the  physical,  and 
insight  into  the  mental  activities  of  your  being,  you 
will  receive  irrefutable  proof  that  the  spirit  brings 
out  power  wherever  it  is  focused. 

When  there  is  a  state  of  physical  discord  and 
the  need  is  to  purify  and  harmonize  the  Tattvic 
vibrations  on  the  physical  plane  as  well  as  to  ob- 
tain mental  control,  the  most  important  centers 
upon  which  to  concentrate  are  the  sacral  and  the 


2O2'     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

solar  plexuses;  the  pituitary  body  (high  up  back 
of  the  throat),  which  is  intimately  connected  with 
the  ninth  and  tenth  cranial  nerves;  and  that  core 
of  the  brain,  the  pineal  gland. 

The  sacral  plexus  is  so-called  because  situated  in 
the  sacrum;  a  composite  bone  formed  of  the  union 
of  the  vertebrae  between  the  lumbar  and  the  coccy- 
geal  regions  of  the  spine,  containing  the  dorsal 
part  of  the  pelvis.  In  man  the  sacrum,  or  sacred 
bone,  is  triangular,  and  consists  of  five  vertebrae. 
This  shape  conforms  to  the  basic  plexus  which  it 
shelters,  and  proclaims  it  a  dominating  center  of 
Tejas  activity,  whence  this  Tattva's  stimulating  vi- 
brations speed  to  all  the  organs  in  this  part  of  the 
body.  No  other  Tattva  responds  so  instantly  to  a 
thought,  or  to  a  glance  from  a  speaking  eye;  for, 
remember,  Tejas  is  regnant  in  the  optic  nerves. 
Therefore,  as  behind  every  thought  is  desire,  the 
harmonious  activity  of  Tejas  in  these  vital  organs 
depends  upon  the  purity,  saneness,  and  wholesome- 
ness  of  our  desires;  and  their  control  by  a  soul- 
governed  Will  affects  the  human  life  beyond  all 
other  influences.  It  is  the  difference  between  aspir- 
ing to  be  Godlike,  and  yielding  to  be  the  shut- 
tlecock of  the  physical  senses. 

This  is,  of  course,  the  turning  point  in  life,  for 
we  all  are  and  become  what  our  desires  mould. 
Desire  prompts  the  Will  to  action.  Shall  it  be  a 
lawless  ruler?  Right  here  is  the  most  prolific 


Vital  Centers  for  Concentration         203 

source  of  evil.  It  is  easier  far  to  drift  with  desire; 
but  know,  once  for  all,  it  is  the  path  of  discord, 
the  sower  of  disturbance. 

In  the  Zodiac  we  find  the  clue  to  these  close  re- 
lations of  organic  sympathy  which  affect  human 
life  and  character  so  profoundly.  The  constella- 
tion Scorpio  is  the  symbol  of  desire  because  it  ex- 
ercises a  paramount  influence  upon  the  physical 
center  where  desires  are  generated.  This  activity 
is  assigned  to  the  coccygeal  gland  (also  known  as 
Luschka's  gland),  situated  near  the  extremity  of 
the  spinal  column.  This  gland  is  most  intimately 
associated  with  the  arteries  and  nerves;  but  its  ex- 
act function,  like  that  of  the  spleen,  pituitary  body, 
and  pineal  gland,  still  remains  a  mystery  to  the 
anatomist.  Scorpio  is  one  of  the  "  houses  "  of 
Mars.  Now  thought,  under  the  influence  of  Sagit- 
tarius (next  East  of  Scorpio  as  seen  in  the  Heav- 
ens) is  either  above  or  below  desire  exactly  accord- 
ing to  the  direction  of  our  thoughts.  If  these  are 
of  the  earth,  earthy,  the  direction  of  these  stellar 
influences  is  downward  from  Aries,  governing  the 
head,  to  Pisces  ruling  the  feet. 

The  familiar  figure  of  man  in  the  almanacs 
shows  the  commonly  assigned  influence  of  the  zo- 
diacal signs  upon  different  parts  of  the  body.  Fa- 
miliar as  it  is,  though,  how  little  the  illustration 
signifies  to  the  majority  of  mankind !  Yet  the  con- 
nection is  deeply  significant;  and  to  a  certain  de- 


2O4     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

gree  it  is  natural,  normal,  and  healthful.  You 
have  learned  that  the  soles  of  the  feet  are  centers 
of  Prithivic  activity,  and  that  in  the  contact  of  the 
feet  with  Mother  Earth  the  flow  of  pure  Prithivi 
vibrations  is  greatly  stimulated.  This  Tattvic 
emanation  received  from  the  earth  is  an  extremely 
subtle,  ethereal  magnetism  which  exhilarates  the 
whole  body.  Whether  the  elemental  forces  which 
develop  as  this  subtle  Tattva  ascends  and  stimulates 
and  mingles  with  Tejas  shall  be  purely  physical  or 
shall  be  transmuted  into  purer  and  higher  princi- 
ples depends  upon  its  use  or  abuse. 

The  guide  to  both  paths  is  in  the  Zodiac.  For 
still  within  man  is  the  Occult  spiritual  Zodiac 
which,  corresponding  exactly  with  that  of  the  ma- 
crocosm, is  circular.  In  this,  notice  particularly 
that  Sagittarius  is  above  Scorpio,  and  that  Pisces  — 
the  abstract  symbol  of  the  will  and  influencing  it  — 
reflects  its  power  upon  desire  in  a  vertical  ray  from 
above  as  in  the  physical  Zodiac  it  reflects  it  from 
below.  Accepting  the  guidance  of  Mercury  and 
governing  the  body  by  reason  and  understanding 
we  develop  the  power  to  employ  all  its  mysterious 
forces  for  good.  By  controlling  his  desires 
through  the  power  of  thought  —  much  easier  than 
he  who  has  never  tried  to  dreams  —  man  enters  the 
upward,  spiritual  path,  thus  overcoming  the  down- 
ward and  outward  flow  of  his  activities  and  emo- 


Vital  Centers  for  Concentration         205 

tions  to  things  purely  physical  through  the  stimulus 
of  his  sense  perceptions. 

Notice  also  with  care  that  it  is  not  the  will  but 
thought  which  must  first  be  employed  to  control 
desire  and  give  it  an  upward  impulse.  Until  this 
is  accomplished,  will  is  at  the  mercy  of  desire  and 
but  strengthens  its  evil  intents.  The  moment 
thought,  which  directs  and  controls  desire,  recog- 
nizes its  own  agency,  refuses  to  be  swayed  by  im- 
pulses, and  gains  the  mastery,  the  Will  ascends  to 
its  higher  plane,  and  its  reflection  transmutes  de- 
sire to  loftier  aims;  for  Will  and  desire  are  the 
higher  and  lower  aspects  of  one  and  the  same  thing. 
It  is  by  the  proper  exercise  of  our  Will  that  we  ac- 
complish all  things  on  the  higher  planes  and  free 
our  souls  from  physical  chains. 

Thus  in  all  this  overcoming  we  are  building 
character,  shaping  destiny.  And  the  petty  trials, 
the  small  frictions  of  life  are  just  as  important  if 
allowed  to  do  their  work  of  discord  as  seemingly 
more  important  matters.  They  demand  their  cor- 
responding measures  of  resistance, —  not  the  resist- 
ance of  struggle,  but  the  more  effective  resistance 
of  poise,  ensuring  the  calm  spirit  that  commands 
reason  and,  therefore,  can  meet  the  annoyance  with 
wise  judgment. 

Be  not  anxious  if  at  first  when  trying  to  concen- 
trate and  enter  the  Silence  a  multitude  of  thoughts 


206     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

flit  through  the  mind.  It  is  the  beginning  of 
discipline  to  watch  these  vagaries.  They  will  sur- 
prise you,  but  you  will  soon  realize  that  you  your- 
self are  above  and  superior  to  the  mind.  You  will 
separate  yourself  from  it;  and  next  will  come  the 
calm  and  confidence  derived  from  consciousness  of 
power  to  check  and  control  the  whole  unruly  tribe 
of  trouble-makers  and  peace-  and  mind-destroyers. 
This,  however,  is  not  gained  in  a  day,  nor  is  it  the 
reward  of  irregular,  haphazard  practice. 

The  influence  of  the  Zodiac  upon  other  vital  cen- 
ters, showing  what  is  gained  by  concentration  upon 
them,  will  be  fully  explained  as  we  continue  this 
study  of  the  inter-relations  of  man  and  the  Uni- 
verse. 

In  all  practice,  assume  an  easy,  erect  posture 
(not  "slumping"  nor  lounging;  that  is).  This 
is  especially  important  in  the  Held-Breath  exercise ; 
for  as  the  object  in  view  is  to  obtain  control  of 
Prana,  the  region  of  the  principle  Nddis  through 
which  the  currents  flow  must  be  free  from  all  con- 
straint or  strain.  These  lessons  ought  to  have  con- 
vinced everyone  already  that  at  all  times  any  pres- 
sure upon  the  spinal  column  is  an  iniquitous  menace 
to  the  very  reservoir  of  life.  But  especially  dur- 
ing periods  of  practice  should  attention  be  given  to 
the  absolute  freedom  of  the  spine  and  chest  which 
should  form  an  erect  support  for  the  neck  and  head 
poised  in  line  above  them.  To  twist  or  crook  the 


Vital  Centers  for  Concentration         207 

spine  during  meditation  or  when  concentrating  the 
Prana  in  different  plexuses  will  not  merely  defeat 
the  purpose  but  may  cause  disturbance,  just  as  elec- 
tric wires,  if  crossed  and  tangled,  raise  the  mis- 
chief 1 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE    CONNECTION   OF   THE    ZODIAC   WITH   VITAL 
CENTERS 

YOU  are  now  prepared  to  appreciate   the 
significance  of  the  statement  that  the  con- 
stellations of  the  Zodiac  severally  reflect 
every  stage  of  the  involution  of  the  Spirit  into  mat- 
ter and  its  evolution  out  of  it.     Every  zodiacal  sign 
is  the  geometrical  symbol  of  a  great  truth  and  fun- 
damental law  of  existence;  for  it  corresponds  with 
successive  stages  in  racial  development  through  its 
connection  with  some  physical  center  and  the  ab- 
stract principle  which  that  center  influences. 

The  internal  man  is  formed  in  the  image  of  the 
whole  Kosmos,  and  the  germ  of  correspondence 
with  every  principle,  from  the  lowest  to  the  high- 
est, is  in  every  human  being.  All  aspiration  and 
striving  for  excellence,  all  recognition  of  the  value 
of  the  best,  even  on  the  material  plane,  and  dissatis- 
faction with  anything  short  of  that  best,  is  the 
struggle  of  these  potentialities  for  recognition 
and  for  opportunity  to  develop.  God's  plan  of 
perfection  for  the  race  can  never  be  thwarted  no 
matter  how  blindly  we  go  astray.  If  we  would 

208 


The  Zodiac's  Influence  Within          209 

shorten  the  period  of  our  probation  and  trial,  we 
must  recognize  the  Truth  of  Being,  and  work  with 
the  law  of  constant  unfoldment  and  developing 
improvement.  There  is  a  divine  discontent  that 
spurs  us  onward  and  upward,  but  far  from  being 
incompatible  with  poise  and  confidence  and  trust 
it  is  furthered  by  these ;  and  it  is  wide  as  the  poles 
asunder  from  fret  and  worry  and  anxiety. 

Our  problem  is  to  adjust  the  outer  man,  the  phy- 
sical self,  to  harmonious  relations  with  his  inner 
spiritual  self;  for  this  is  the  only  path  to  the  over- 
coming of  temptations,  folly,  and  disease, —  all  the 
evils  in  short  which  purely  physical  or  material  liv- 
ing generates.  The  right  use  of  the  power  of 
thought  is  the  medium  of  adjustment,  and  we 
choose  for  ourselves  what  use  shall  be  made  of  it. 
When  an  evil  thought  enters  the  mind  promptly 
replace  it  with  a  good  one.  This  is  much  better 
than  to  engage  in  a  struggle  to  resist  evil.  It  is 
the  quickest  method  of  shunting  the  mind  to  an- 
other track  and  of  shutting  the  door  between 
you  and  temptation,  if  the  evil  be  of  that  nature. 
And  at  the  same  time  it  strengthens  the  mind  to 
admit  only  the  good,  and  trains  desire  to  long  for 
it  and  choose  it.  You  thus  cultivate  receptivity  to 
the  highest,  the  best,  and  the  purest;  and  are  con- 
stantly refining  and  harmonizing  the  vibrations  in 
every  sphere  of  your  being. 

I  wish  to  impress  upon  every  reader  the  over- 


210     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

whelming  importance  of  realizing  individual  re- 
sponsibility for  the  perfection  of  the  physical 
body, —  the  soul's  medium  of  expression.  It  is  in 
our  power  to  steadily  improve  and  purify  these 
bodies  of  ours  through  the  renewing  materials  we 
supply  them.  It  is  a  significant  sign  of  the  times 
that  Congress  has  at  last  passed  a  Pure  Food  bill. 
For  years,  highly  protected  interests  have  defeated 
all  efforts  to  obtain  legislation  for  this  protection 
of  the  people,  but  a  few  stout  hearts  have  kept  up 
the  fight  till  they  roused  such  force  of  public  opin- 
ion to  support  them  that  legislators  no  longer 
dared  defy  completely  the  will  of  the  people.  But 
pure  foods  and  drinks  are  not  enough.  The  world 
at  large  needs  to  recognize  that  pure  air  and  pure 
thoughts  as  well  as  pure  environment  —  the  peo- 
ple and  things  forming  our  associations  and  mould- 
ing our  tastes  —  are  even  more  important  than 
what  we  shall  eat  and  drink. 

To  make  these  physical  tenements  receptive  to 
the  subtle  vibrations  of  higher  planes  of  activity  — 
that  is  higher  human  development  —  we  cannot  be 
too  careful  concerning  the  materials  in  all  these 
varied  forms  which  they  are  constantly  assimilat- 
ing. Let  not  a  day  pass  that  you  do  not  aspire  for 
the  highest  and  best  things  in  the  mental  and  the 
spiritual  life, —  for  more  "  Light  on  the  Path," 
and  for  steadfastness  of  purpose  in  pursuing  it; 


The  Zodiac's  Influence  Within          211 

remembering  always  that  the  Path  is  within!  in 
your  choice  of  every  thought  and  act. 

The  parts  of  the  body  through  which  the  higher 
Principles  operate  lie  in  juxtaposition  to  the  spine 
or  are  immediately  connected  therewith,  and  herein 
lies  the  supreme  importance  of  the  special  exer- 
cises in  Concentration  by  means  of  which  we  gain 
the  power  to  rouse  the  Kundalini,  and  raise  the  la- 
tent, "  coiled-up  "  energy  through  the  Sushumna; 
the  opening  of  which  even  a  little  way  marks  a  dis- 
tinct advance  in  spiritual  and  mental  power,  and  in 
the  overcoming  of  the  physical. 

Along  the  line  of  the  Sushumna  are  ranged  the 
seven  padmas,  or  "  lotuses  "  of  the  Yogi,  stations, 
as  it  were,  in  the  path  of  progress  from  the  physi- 
cal to  the  spiritual,  which  correspond  with  the  prin- 
cipal nerve-plexuses  from  the  basic,  or  sacral,  to 
the  pineal  gland.  In  the  head  are  seven  "  Master 
Chakras  "  which  are  said  to  govern  and  rule  these 
nerve-plexuses  in  the  body.  Exactly  in  the  propor- 
tion that  the  Kundalini  is  raised  in  the  Sushumna 
the  power  of  the  current  increases;  for  it  stimulates 
every  plexus  as  it  passes  through  it,  and  also  gath- 
ers to  itself  a  tremendous  increase  from  the  essence 
or  energy  of  the  successive  plexuses. 

This  force  of  supernormally  pure  and  subtle  vi- 
brations reacts  upon  the  whole  nervous  system, 
vastly  increasing  the  power  (through  refining  the 


212     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

vibrations)  of  every  ganglion  and  strengthening 
and  stimulating  the  zodiacal  centers  of  the  higher 
Principles.  In  this  practice  for  Concentration, 
deep,  slow  rhythmic  breathing  should  be  so  estab- 
lished that  it  will  take  care  of  itself.  A  mental 
image  should  be  formed  of  the  upward  flow  of  the 
vital  current.  You  must  endeavor  to  both  feel 
and  see  it  rising  in  the  Sushumnd  in  obedience  to 
your  command,  and  gaining  force  as  it  ascends. 

Leo,  the  zodiacal  house  of  the  sun,  corresponds 
with  and  is  the  influence  which  develops  life, —  the 
vital  force  which  we  know  as  Prdna.  But  the  form 
which  that  life-principle  shall  mould  depends  upon 
the  character  of  our  thoughts.  The  thought-prin- 
ciple, as  you  have  learned,  develops  under  the  in- 
fluence of  Sagittarius.  In  the  circle  of  the  Zodiac, 
Sagittarius  is  on  the  same  plane  with  Leo  (life), 
but  it  is  its  opposite  and  complement,  marking  the 
immense  evolution  from  mere  animal  life  to  the 
development  of  conscious  mentality;  and  it  stands, 
as  explained  in  the  last  chapter,  at  the  parting  of  the 
ways.  If  brought  under  a  soul-governed  Will,  it 
leads  the  life,  through  the  development  of  individ- 
uality to  the  upward  arc  of  evolution,  the  divine 
quarternary, —  to  the  release  of  the  soul  from  its 
physical  chains  forged  by  sense-perceptions. 

Individuality  has  its  physical  seat  in  the  spine 
back  of  the  heart,  and  is  under  the  influence  of 
Capricornus,  always  recognized  as  possessing  a 


The  Zodiac's  Influence  Within          213 

mysterious  organizing  power.  Capricornus  is 
on  the  boundary  line  of  the  manifested,  or  visible 
universe.  On  this  gross  plane  of  the  physical  man 
the  constellation  rules  the  knees.  When  you  say  of 
a  man,  "  He  is  weak-kneed,"  you  are  unconsciously , 
recognizing  his  lack  of  development  in  the  Occult 
center  of  Capricornus,  where,  as  individuality  in- 
creases, courage  keeps  pace  with  it  in  the  high  coun- 
cil-chamber of  the  heart. 

The  correspondence  of  Leo  with  the  body  is 
through  the  solar  plexus  and  the  heart.  The  solar 
plexus  (also  called  epigastric  plexus)  is  to  the  nerv- 
ous system  what  the  heart  is  to  the  vascular  system ; 
therefore,  it  claims  pre-eminence  as  the  most  vital 
center  in  the  body.  It  is  the  largest  of  the  great 
sympathetic  plexuses,  and  is  situated  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  abdomen,  back  of  the  stomach  and  in 
front  of  the  aorta.  Its  dominating  influence  has 
won  for  it  the  titles  of  "  abdominal  brain  "  and 
"  king  brain."  In  this  life-center,  the  three  Tatt- 
•uas  which  predominate  in  our  terrestrial  lives  min- 
gle most  closely,  and  exercise  the  one  upon  the  other 
that  restraint  which  secures  their  harmonious  co- 
operation in  physical  activities.  Prithivi  here 
unites  with  Tejas,  and  both  come  under  the  temper- 
ing, welding  influence  of  Apas,  resolving  them  into 
a  higher  power.  Remember  the  solvent  and  con- 
tracting properties  of  Apas.  These  act  with  bene- 
ficent restraint  upon  the  two  others ;  therefore,  con- 


214     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  BreatK 

centration  upon  the  solar  plexus  has  an  immediate 
effect  in  calming  and  purifying  the  nerves  and  re- 
storing the  equilibrium.  It  is  the  most  important 
center  upon  which  to  concentrate  for  relief  from  any 
disturbance  of  the  digestive  function,  whether  gas- 
tric or  intestinal. 

Next  above  Capricornus  in  the  circle  of  the  Zo- 
diac, is  the  zodiacal  influence  of  the  soul,  Aquarius. 
The  physical  correspondence  of  this  constellation 
is  with  that  part  of  the  spinal  cord  situated  between 
the  shoulders.  Reference  has  already  been  made 
to  the  mystic  relations  between  Apas  (water)  and 
the  soul,  and  this  makes  still  clearer  the  bond  be- 
tween the  two.  Soul  is  that  Principle  in  all  things 
which  relates  the  visible  to  the  invisible;  and  in 
humanity  it  is  the  real,  immortal  Self, —  the  gar- 
ment of  the  Spirit.  It  is  that  principle  of  univer- 
sal love  which  makes  the  whole  world  kin.  All 
self-sacrifice  and  self-forgetfulness  in  devotion  to 
high  principle  is  a  manifestation  of  the  soul.  Only 
by  such  exercise  does  the  soul  come  into  conscious 
government  of  its  own  individual  kingdom, —  a 
conquest  which  must  precede  all  realization  of  its 
oneness  with  infinite  life  and  with  power. 

You  must  now  have  learned  past  forgetting  that 
our  bodies  are  the  fields  of  marvellously  subtle  ac- 
tivities which,  by  reflection  and  transmutation  from 
one  plane  to  another  lower  one,  are  gradually  pre- 
cipitated into  the  visible  form  that  constitutes  the 


The  Zodiac's  Influence  Within          215 

physical  self.  But  never  is  there  any  separation. 
These  activities  are  wheels  within  wheels;  spheres 
within  spheres.  Also,  you  know  that  these  Tattvic 
vibrations  can  be  evil  as  well  as  beneficent;  and 
that  thought  is  the  dynamic  power  which  controls 
the  vibrations,  and  can  make  them  whatever  you 
choose! 

The  relations  of  mind  and  body  as  you  must  cer- 
tainly recognize  by  this  time,  are  so  intimate  that 
the  control  of  one  is  indispensable  for  the  control 
of  the  other;  for  the  mind  really  moulds  the  body 
from  moment  to  moment  through  the  instant  effect 
of  its  every  emotion  upon  the  vibratory  currents 
active  therein,  which  are  beneficent  or  evil  accord- 
ing to  the  direction  given  them  by  habitual 
thoughts. 

When  you  are  told  that  the  speed  of  the  spirillae 
within  the  atoms  is  "  several  hundred  trillion  "  vi- 
brations per  second,  the  fact  may  help  you  to  un- 
derstand why  intense  emotion  thrills  the  body  so  in- 
stantaneously and  is  capable  of  killing  or  curing 
according  to  its  nature. 

The  ordinary  every-day  life  which  is  absorbed 
with  purely  utilitarian  occupations, —  the  life 
which  is  allowed  to  drift,  and  honestly  believes  it 
has  no  time  to  think  purposefully, —  wastes  an  in- 
calculable force  daily  and  hourly  in  ungoverned 
thinking  and  idle  talking,  and  is  fortunate  when  it 
does  not  suffer  physical  weakness  and  discord  as  a 


2 1 6     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

direct  and  speedy  consequence.  Many  headaches, 
attacks  of  indigestion,  and  even  colds  (following 
mental  depression)  have  no  other  origin  than  talk 
which,  waxing  Into  controversy,  develops  irritation, 
heated  excitement  and  unhappiness. 

You  are  now  at  a  stage  in  this  study  of  Self  and 
its  forces  where  you  can  readily  understand  that 
exercises  in  Concentration  should  always  conclude 
with  concentration  upon  the  higher  centers,  and 
with  an  upward  direction  of  currents,  as  these  are 
psychical  and  spiritual,  while  downward-flowing 
currents  are  physical. 

Never  allow  the  body  to  become  tense  and 
strained  during  concentration;  and  avoid  gazing 
fixedly  at  any  object  as  a  help  in  centering  the  mind. 
The  practice  (frequently  commended)  strains  and 
injures  the  optic  nerves,  impairing  their  power  of 
focal  adjustment.  As  directed  in  an  early  chapter, 
it  is  much  better  to  close  the  eyes  when  concentrat- 
ing; and  when  the  immediate  purpose  of  the  exer- 
cise is  to  restore  physical  harmony,  confine  con- 
sciousness —  the  inward  gaze  —  as  far  as  possible 
unwaveringly  to  the  chosen  center. 

I  think  it  must  be  clearly  understood  now  that 
these  exercises  in  Concentration  are  not  to  be  con- 
sidered from  a  purely  utilitarian  standpoint,  the 
gain  in  physical  well-being.  No ;  the  reward  is  far 
greater  than  that.  It  is  a  development,  a  remould- 
ing on  a  higher  plane,  of  the  whole  character, 


The  Zodiac's  Influence  Within          217 

strengthening  and  giving  firmness  to  every  good 
quality,  and  disclosing  talents  and  abilities  before 
unsuspected.  Harmony  and  serenity  become  the 
habitual  mental  state,  and  a  source  of  unvarying 
courage  and  confidence  in  every  perplexity  and 
emergency.  Thus  we  are  moulding  the  Self  to 
loftier  purpose,  to  greater  usefulness,  to  activities 
subliminal  as  well  as  conscious  that  affect  for  great 
good  ourselves  and  all  who  come  within  our  en- 
vironment. 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE  CROWN  OF  CONCENTRATION 

SO  far  all  the  explanations  concerning  exer- 
cises and  discipline  for  concentration  have 
necessarily  given  prominence  to  the  physical 
plane,  because  we  must  know  our  mediums  of  ac- 
tivity in  order  to  use  them  correctly  and  bene- 
ficially; and  because  the  physical  is  the  lowest  and 
grossest  medium  in  the  scale  of  human  develop- 
ment, but  also  the  vehicle  of  expression  for  all  ac- 
tivities, and  therefore  the  one  which  we  must  first 
learn  to  control. 

No  method  of  purifying  and  energizing  the 
nerves  is  known  to  Western  science  that  in  any  re- 
spect approaches  the  efficacy  of  the  exercises  for 
Prdndydma;  and  from  their  effect  upon  the  vibra- 
tions, they  prepare  the  physical  conditions  most  fa- 
vorable for  success  in  higher  concentration. 

In  the  Sushumnd  man  bridges  the  abyss  between 
the  physical  and  spiritual  over  the  psychic  realm. 
It  is  only  through  the  complete  mastery  of  our 
thoughts  and  their  conscious  direction  to  the  high- 
est and  best  that  we  are  able  to  open  this  gate- 
way to  the  inner  senses ;  for  the  process  refines  the 

218 


The  Crown  of  Concentration  219 

vibrations  of  normal  consciousness  so  that  they  are 
attuned  to  those  of  the  supernormal  state, —  va- 
riously described  as  "  subliminal,"  '  The  Uncon- 
scious Mind,"  and  "  The  Subconscious."  As  it  is 
a  vastly  higher  condition,  not  lower,  supernormal 
seems  to  identify  it  most  clearly  and  aptly.  Con- 
sciousness really  embraces  all  space,  which  is  to  it 
non-existent;  want  of  affinity  in  vibrations  is  the 
only  bar.  Therefore  there  are  no  limitations  to 
the  consciousness  of  the  "  knower."  Ignorance 
or  choice  forge  their  own  limitations  of  condition 
or  state.  Thus  this  normal  self  which  we  know 
best  is  commonly  a  person  of  many  limitations  be- 
cause failing  to  utilize  its  latent  powers.  As  long 
as  we  permit  our  desires  to  dwell  upon  lower  phy- 
sical pleasures  this  gateway  remains  closed,  the 
thought-power  needed  to  open  it  being  wasted  and 
dissipated  in  the  world  of  externality.  Passing 
downward  and  outward  it  brings  deterioration  of 
character,  and  effectually  blocks  the  development 
of  higher  Principles. 

I  would  entreat  you  to  keep  this  basic  fact  ever 
before  you  as  both  a  warning  and  a  guide:  The 
law  of  growth  and  development  is  based  upon  ac- 
tivity, and  the  form  of  the  activity  upon  the  use 
to  which  we  devote  it.  No  growth  is  possible 
without  use;  and  just  as  every  unused  muscle  or 
tightly  bound  organ  in  the  body  deteriorates 
through  the  stagnation  thus  induced,  so  also  do  un- 


22O     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

used  faculties  of  the  human  mind  deteriorate; 
while  some  powers  remain  ever  latent  from  utter 
failure  to  exercise  them. 

Activity  in  a  center  quickens  the  sensitiveness 
of  that  center  to  receive  impressions  and  to  de- 
velop its  latent  powers.  The  spiritual  nature 
within  all  is  striving  for  unfoldment,  and  thus  it  is 
with  every  latent  quality  or  power.  It  waits  only 
the  unlocking  of  its  secret  chamber  through  com- 
mand of  desire  and  searching  intelligence.  The 
weak-willed  are  governed  by  their  desires  excited 
by  external  objects;  the  strong-willed  govern  their 
desires  through  Internal  choice, —  the  ethical  exer- 
cise of  a  discriminating  will. 

In  the  heart-silence  to  which  concentration  leads, 
sources  of  power  undreamed-of  are  opened  to  us. 
The  clear  realization  by  the  conscious  self  of  con- 
ditions —  fields  of  activity  —  usually  veiled  by  sub- 
consciousness,  is  developed  through  the  increased 
activity  of  the  soul  when  thus  freed,  and  of 
a  will-power  which  becomes  in  its  every  exercise  a 
manifestation  of  soul-force.  Not  till  we  thus  unite 
our  wills  with  our  real  selves  can  we  have  any  con- 
ception of  the  might  of  the  invisible  into  whose 
realms  we  are  gradually  and  gently  led  through 
this  concentration  of  psychic  power  and  consequent 
development  of  psychic  senses.  The  keenness  of 
these  on  the  subtle  planes  where  alone  they  act  is 
another  incontestable  proof  of  the  building  power 


The  Crown  of  Concentration  221 

of  the  imaging  faculty.  Never  idle,  always 
moulding  something,  through  its  wise  direction 
we  can  consciously  enter  the  higher  planes. 

One  of  the  earliest  signs  of  progress  in  over- 
coming —  in  refining  and  purifying  the  vibrations 
—  and  in  the  unfoldment  of  the  higher  Principles, 
is  the  development  of  the  sense  of  touch  to  a  mar- 
velously  delicate  rapport  with  the  mind.  It  thus 
imparts  to  all  abstract  concepts  whatsoever,  of 
things  as  of  persons,  so  intense  reality  that  you 
discriminate  textures  and  substances  as  if  in  actual 
contact  with  them;  and  can  feel  the  presence  of  an 
absent  friend  —  the  really  vital,  throbbing  life; 
the  cordial  handclasp  or  loving  touch  upon  the 
hair  —  as  vividly  as  if  you  stood  face  to  face. 
The  sense  of  smell  also,  always  mysteriously  linked 
with  memory  and  subtly  uniting  us  with  the  in- 
visible, increases  in  sensitiveness  to  the  stimulant  of 
suggestion,  promptly  responding  by  presenting  to 
consciousness  the  spiritual  aroma  of  any  favorite 
flower.  The  emotional  effect  of  the  sense  of  smell 
and  the  marvelous  reactionary  power  of  memory 
to  stimulate  it  may  be  accounted  for  by  its 
anatomical  seat  in  close  association  with  the  pineal 
gland. 

Not  surprsing  is  it,  therefore,  that  the  first  of 
the  psychic  senses  to  develop  is  the  enjoyment  of 
the  spiritual  aromas  of  Nature, —  sweet  flower- 
odors  and  aromatic  pines  and  balsams  which  pen- 


222      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  BreatK 

etrate  consciousness  unpreparedly  and  in  places 
where  the  physical  vehicle  of  the  odor  is  entirely 
absent.  Its  corresponding  physical  sense  is  stim- 
ulated, you  will  remember,  by  the  last  and  densest 
Tattva,  Prithivi,  the  earth  vibration.  It  was  the 
last  sense  to  be  evolved.  Thus  psychic  evolution 
is  exactly  the  reverse  of  physical  evolution.  It  is 
the  ascension  of  the  spiral  and  reflects  its  opposite. 

Corresponding  with  taste  is  the  psychic  power 
to  absorb  and  enjoy  the  finer  essences  of  Prdna; 
and  to  recall  with  the  vividness  of  physical  pleas- 
ure any  delicious  food  flavors.  These  subtle  es- 
sences are  the  nectar  and  ambrosia  of  the  gods. 

It  is  in  the  exercise  of  holding  consciousness  to 
the  fixed  contemplation  of  the  force  circulating  in 
the  Sushumnd  till  it  rises  to  the  pineal  gland  and 
rouses  it  to  activity,  that  the  Yogi,  in  Swami 
Vivekananda's  words :  "  Becomes  en  rapport 
with  the  astral  light  and  the  universal  mind  and 
thus  is  able  to  see  the  whole  Kosmos."  All  that  is 
known  of  the  invisible  universe  has  been  learned  in 
this  way.  Physiological  facts  are  these:  When 
we  succeed  in  rousing  the  Kundalinl,  and  the  vital- 
current  rises  in  the  Sushumnd,  we  have  released 
Prdna  from  its  bondage  to  matter  —  that  is,  the 
nervous  system,  over  which  its  currents  normally 
flow  —  and  in  doing  this  have  refined  the  vibra- 
tions to  a  higher  plane  to  which  it  carries  Con- 
sciousness with  it.  Thus  we  release  the  mind  from 


The  Crown  of  Concentration  223 

its  physical  chains,  the  nerve-wires,  and  from  the 
restrictions  of  the  physical  senses.  The  same  prin- 
cipal is  employed  in  wireless  telegraphy  I 

The  pineal  gland  is  the  "  Divine  Eye,"  and  it 
is  now  recognized  by  scientists  as  "  a  vestigial 
structure  representing  an  unpaired  eye  "  ;  that  is, 
the  "third  eye."  Dr.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes 
described  this  mysterious  organ  as  a  small  mineral 
deposit  of  grape-like  masses  of  crystalline  matter 
in  the  core  of  the  brain,  "  in  the  part  where  Des 
Cartes  placed  the  soul."  Quantities  of  nerve  fiber 
pass  through  the  organ,  and  it  is  of  interest  to  the 
student  of  the  Tattvas  to  learn  that  of  its  two  sorts 
of  cells,  those  of  sharp,  irregular  form  contain 
granules  of  yellow  or  orange  pigment.  The  mac- 
rocosmic  correspondence  of  this  gland  is  with 
Aries,  and  consciousness  is  there  enthroned. 

The  structure  of  the  pituitary  body  is  almost 
identical  with  that  of  the  pineal  gland,  yet  no  slight- 
est connection  can  be  traced  between  the  two  cen- 
ters by  anatomists.  Mme.  Blavatsky  is  my  auth- 
ority, however,  for  stating  that  the  connection  be- 
tween them  is  physiological  as  well  as  spiritual. 
Her  assertions  concerning  their  importance  were 
corroborated  in  1903  by  the  discoveries  of  Dr. 
Sajous,  of  Philadelphia,  who  announced  the 
"  startling  theory  that  one  of  the  least  studied 
glands  [the  pituitary  body]  is  the  most  important 
of  the  millions  in  the  human  body."  After  four- 


224     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

teen  years  of  research  devoted  especially  to  the 
study  of  the  office  or  function  of  the  least  under- 
stood glands  in  the  body,  Dr.  Sajous  believed  he 
could  demonstrate  that  the  anterior  lobe  of  the  pit- 
uitary body  [of  course,  the  difference  between  the 
lobes  is  that  one  is  positive  and  the  other  negative] 
is  vitally  concerned  in  the  preservation  of  health, 
because  the  glands  are  agents  for  the  absorption  of 
oxygen  and  its  transmission  in  another  form  to  the 
lungs.  When  you  study  the  sheaths  of  the  body, 
this  discovery  will  strike  you  with  greater  signifi- 
cance. 

Concerning  the  connection  between  the  pituitary 
body  and  the  pineal  gland,  Mme.  Blavatsky  states 
that  an  Adept  can  see  a  golden  aura  pulsating  in 
both  centers  when  the  subject  is  in  a  normal  condi- 
tion. It  is  as  regular  as  the  heart  beat.  Under 
abnormal  conditions  of  concentration  or  exaltation, 
the  arc  of  pulsation  from  the  pituitary  body  mounts 
upward  more  and  more  until,  just  as  when  an  elec- 
tric current  strikes  some  solid  object,  the  vibra- 
tions strike  the  pineal  gland,  and  awakening  that 
dormant  center  set  all  glowing  with  pure  Akdshic 
energy. 

"  This  is  the  psycho-physiological  illustration  of 
two  organs  on  the  physical  plane,  which  are  respec- 
tively, the  concrete  symbols  of  the  metaphysical 
concepts  called  Manas  [mind]  and  Buddhi  [Soul]. 
[To  become  conscious  on  this  plane,  Buddhi  needs 


The  Crown  of  Concentration          225 

the  differentiated  fire  of  Manas;  but  once  the  sixth 
sense  has  awakened  the  seventh  the  light  which 
radiates  from  this  seventh  sense  illuminates  the 
fields  of  infinitude.  For  a  brief  space  of  time, 
man  becomes  omniscient,  the  Past  and  the  Future, 
Space  and  Time,  disappear  and  become  for  him  the 
Present." 

Thus  experience,  as  tangible  and  definite  as  any 
scientific  experiments,  has  established  the  fact  that 
the  pineal  gland  is  the  chief  organ  of  spirituality, 
and  the  seat  of  genius.  It  is  the  "  concrete  sym- 
bol "  because  latent  within  this  crystalline  center 
are  the  potencies  of  Buddhi.  To  the  faithful  earn- 
est student,  it  becomes  the  magical  Sesame  which 
under  the  stimulus  of  his  purified  will  opens  to  him 
the  secrets  of  the  macrocosm.  This  supreme 
achievement,  however,  is  not  the  reward  of  all,  nor 
can  it  be  gained  by  any  without  unfaltering  pur- 
pose. 

Any  selfish  aim  defeats  the  realization  of  higher 
states  of  consciousness.  But  all  faithful  and  reg- 
ular practice  brings  its  immediate  return  in  serenity, 
mental  power,  and  physical  harmony;  with  a  steady 
gain  in  these  day  by  day,  and  increasing  strength, 
insight,  and  confidence.  Always,  the  purer  the 
thoughts,  the  finer,  the  more  rapid  the  vibrations 
of  the  mind-stuff  whose  reflection  is  mirrored  upon 
the  physical  plane. 

Know,  too,  that  spiritual  consciousness  cannot 


226      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

be  taken  by  assault.  It  can  be  won  only  by  per- 
severing, patient  devotion  to  the  lofty  purpose  of 
union  with  the  highest.  It  requires  effort  and  con- 
tinuous effort,  and  especially  the  self-discipline  of 
restraining  all  irritation  or  depression.  Boundless 
faith,  cheerfulness  and  happiness  create  those  har- 
monious vibrations  that  prepare  the  lower  sheaths 
to  reflect  the  higher,  and  release  subtle  forces  to 
pass  freely  from  one  medium  to  another.  No 
other  investment  of  time  or  labor  returns  so  soul- 
satisfying,  enduring  rewards. 

To  see  the  vision,  and  without  striving  and  hop- 
ing for  it  none  can  succeed,  one  must  "  think  in- 
wardly; desire  intensely;  and  imagine  centrally;" 
resolved  that  nothing  shall  bar  one's  penetrating 
to  the  innermost  radiant  center  of  being  —  the  Liv- 
ing Temple  —  and  ascending  to  the  highest,  most 
subtle  plane.  By  concentration,  the  diffused,  la- 
tent soul-power  is  made  manifest  and  definite, — 
comprehensible.  Meditation  is  the  crown  of  con- 
centration. It  is  only  in  meditation  that  we  reach 
the  heart  of  anything.  We  cannot  meditate  till 
through  concentration  we  have  brought  the  med- 
ium, the  mind,  to  the  steadfast  state  of  submission 
to  our  will  and  purpose.  Thus  concentration  is 
the  moulding  of  the  organ;  meditation  is  its  ex- 
ercise to  great  ends. 

The  first  successful  stage  is  to  be  able  to  hold 
the  mind  to  a  single  point;  and  next  to  sweep  the 


The  Crown  of  Concentration  227 

surface  clean  of  any  object;  literally  to  fix  the  at- 
tention upon  nothing.  This  is  the  "  waveless 
lake  "  of  Swami  Vivekananda, —  a  clean  tablet 
upon  which,  having  brought  the  mind-stuff  into  a 
state  of  perfect  quiescence,  we  can  pursue  a  single 
train  of  thought;  each  link  in  the  chain,  by  the  law 
of  causation  which  is  also  a  law  of  rhythm,  ris- 
ing into  consciousness  and  taking  its  place  with  the 
precision  of  well-trained  soldiers. 

Do  not  confound  concentration  with  a  state  of 
passivity.  In  order  to  reach  the  plane  of  pure 
meditation  which  opens  the  channels  for  an  influx 
of  divine  power, —  where,  as  Annie  Besant  says : 
"  Peace  and  strength  and  force  flow  into  the 
soul," —  it  is  necessary  to  quell  all  the  distractions 
of  irrelevant  ideas  with  which  the  senses  and  un- 
trained minds  commonly  make  havoc  of  lives. 
These  most  certainly  must  be  reduced  to  a  state  of 
passivity,  hence  the  confusion;  but  if  consciousness 
be  permitted  to  dwell  upon  this  plane,  the  result  is 
not  concentration  but  stupor!  This  is  the  mis- 
take, the  stumbling-block  in  many  paths. 

Consciousness  must  ascend;  through  aspiration  it 
must  be  alert  yet  not  anxious.  It  must  concentrate 
all  effort  to  a  single  point.  Thus  it  is  a  state  of 
highest  activity.  The  master  on  duty  cannot  sleep ! 
The  only  danger  incurred  in  the  exercise  is  from 
excessive  zeal.  The  subtle  vibrations  called  into 
activity  work  through  the  germs  of  the  powers  you 


228;     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

seek  to  develop;  and,  like  all  life  in  its  incipiency, 
these  germs  —  atomic  spirillse  —  are  extremely 
delicate.  Practice  should  always  stop  short  of 
brain-fatigue. 

The  earnest  student  needs  no  admonition;  but 
the  curious  investigator  who  experiments  with  this 
system  of  unfoldment  and  evolution  is  cautioned 
that  the  mental  attitude  with  which  the  study  is 
pursued  affects  most  profoundly  the  results.  The 
poison  of  doubt,  or  any  lack  of  confidence  acts  ef- 
fectively to  inhibit  the  realization  of  the  bene- 
fits sought.  Trust  and  hopefulness  open  the  chan- 
nels for  their  fulfillment.  Be  not  too  keen  for  re- 
sults. That  attitude  easily  passes  into  anxiety  and 
disappointment.  It  is  to  the  cheerfully  expectant 
that  all  great  boons  come.  Let  your  greatest  in- 
terest be  in  the  method;  in  the  difficulties  you  en- 
counter, and  the  ingenuity,  the  expedients,  you 
evolve  in  overcoming  them.  Remember  that  you 
are  investigating  your  own  kingdom  of  conscious- 
ness; a  mysterious  realm  that  will  open  out  grad- 
ually, disclosing  resources,  possibilities,  and  talents 
wholly  unsuspected. 

Do  not  dwell  upon  things  external.  It  is 
within  you  must  endeavor  to  center  all  your  con- 
sciousness. Give  no  recognition  to  insistent  sense- 
perceptions;  ignore  everything  external.  Not  by 
denial  of  what  obtrudes  persistently,  for  that  im- 
plies recognition,  but  by  steadfast  affirmation  of 


The  Crown  of  Concentration  229 

what  you  seek  will  you  reach  the  goal  of  en- 
deavor —  complete  abstraction  from  the  material, 
visible  plane.  The  forces  that  ingather  'during 
such  concentration  are  commonly  wasted  in  prodi- 
gal outward  radiation;  for  there  is  more  spend- 
thrift thinking  than  there  is  spendthrift  waste  of 
money.  Not  till  the  psychic  force  which  is  com- 
monly squandered  so  thoughtlessly  and  lavishly  is 
gathered  in  and  concentrated  in  various  centers 
does  the  normal  consciousness  realize  the  extent  to 
which  the  power  can  be  controlled,  or  the  energy 
which  can  be  thus  generated. 

Above  all,  during  the  exercise  of  concentration, 
the  mind  should  not  be  permitted  to  dwell  for  an 
instant  upon  the  anxieties,  vicissitudes,  or  annoy- 
ances of  the  day.  It  should  be  lifted  to  the  con- 
sciousness of  eternal  peace, —  the  law  of  the  per- 
fectly adjusted  life.  The  first  stage  of  the  sub- 
jective, interior  self  which  we  reach  in  the  Silence, 
is  that  most  closely  connected  with  normal  con- 
sciousness where  the  effects  of  habitual  thoughts 
and  acts  are  garnered  and  reproach  or  comfort  us 
according  to  their  nature;  and  in  the  degree  that 
we  are  able  to  make  this  self-examination  with  ab- 
solute candor  and  freedom  from  bias  or  prejudice, 
is  it  helpful  to  us.  Do  not  tarry  here;  waste  no 
time  in  regret;  give  only  such  recognition  as  arms 
you  against  repetition  of  that  which  harms.  Har- 
monious thoughts  alone  can  mould  a  harmonious 


230      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

body,  and  desire  for  things  spiritual  can  alone  give 
the  real  self  opportunity  to  grow  and  to  evolve  its 
inherent  power. 

It  is  a  deeply  significant  truth  that  the  regular 
observance  of  periods  for  Concentration  produces 
physical  and  mental  conditions  that  favor  such  de- 
velopment beyond  any  other  known  discipline  or 
training.  Only  during  introspection,  after  com- 
plete withdrawal  from  the  world  of  the  senses,  has 
the  soul-life  an  opportunity  to  strengthen  itself 
through  association  with  things  spiritual  and  sub- 
jective, instead  of  material  and  objective.  Every 
such  exercise  of  the  soul-life  refines  and  purifies 
the  vibrations  and  reflects  its  increasing  strength 
and  purity  upon  the  physical  tabernacle. 

For,  mystery  of  mysteries !  it  is  into  the  realm  of 
creation  that  meditation  carries  us,  where  we  feel 
the  dawning  of  a  creative  spirit  in  ourselves;  and 
realize  beyond  question  or  faintest  doubt  that  we, 
too,  can  share  in  that  higher  life, —  that  we  are  a 
part  of  it  and  can  manifest  our  individual  part 
here. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE    SEQUENCE   OF    NUMBERS 

> 

ONE  of  the  most  significant  and  deepest 
truths  of  life,  of  Nature,  of  the  Universe, 
is,  that  there  is  correspondence  —  funda- 
mental correspondence  —  everywhere.  The  stum- 
bling-block of  science  has  been  its  separation  of 
man,  the  observer,  from  the  objects  of  his  study 
and  research;  for  he,  the  crowning  work  of  crea- 
tion, is  an  epitome  of  it,  bearing  to  its  component 
parts  the  same  relations  that  the  atoms  of  his  body 
bear  to  one  another. 

It  is  impossible  for  us  to  separate  ourselves 
from  the  life  about  us,  for  we  are  a  part  of  it,  and 
bear  the  closest  relationship  to  its  manifold  forms 
and  manifestations.  The  soul,  the  connecting  link 
between  the  body  and  its  Creator,  is  the  medium 
through  which  all  consciousness  of  that  Divinity 
and  our  close  connection  with  the  unchanging 
source  of  life  is  manifested.  Now,  the  question 
arises:  How  is  it  manifested? 

You  have  been  told  that  everything,  all  activity, 
every  visible  thing,  is  the  result  of  Tattvic  vibra- 
tions; and  that  our  physical  bodies  are  gross  — 

231 


232      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

that  is,  visible  —  effects  of  their  ceaseless  permu« 
tations  and  comminglings.  The  distinction 
"  gross  "  is  used  in  this  connection  always  with 
the  sense  of  being  the  antipodes,  or  direct  opposite 
of  the  most  sublimated  or  subtle, —  a  visible  effect, 
through  a  succession  of  ever  coarsening  vibrations 
forming  denser  matter,  of  invisible  forces;  forces 
of  so  tremendous  energy  that  the  average  mind  is 
as  yet  incapable,  wanting  any  standard  of  compar- 
ison, of  realizing  their  power  and  effect.  What 
you  have  already  learned  concerning  the  bonds  of 
sympathy  established  by  the  Tattvas  has  prepared 
you  for  the  consideration  now  of  all  the  links  in 
the  chain  of  causation,  the  analysis  of  which  will 
enable  you  to  answer  in  fullest  detail  and  incontro- 
vertibly  the  question:  What  is  this  relationship 
and  correspondence?  in  answering  which  the  first 
question  is  answered  also. 

All  this  is  made  clear  through  study  of  the  Self, 
—  a  septenary  compound  of  Principles  which  link 
the  microcosm  to  the  macrocosm  by  the  same  sep- 
tenary chain  through  and  by  which  all  phenomena 
issue  from  the  noumenon.  The  human  body  con- 
sists of  seven  vehicles  of  expression, —  sheaths, 
bodies,  or  Principles,  as  they  are  variously  desig- 
nated. The  lowest  of  these  in  degree  of  density 
is  the  physical  body,  an  aggregation  of  cells  com- 
pounded by  the  grossest  vibrations  of  the  Tattvas; 
but  cells  could  not  exist  without  molecules,  nor 


The  Sequence  of  Numbers  233 

molecules  without  atoms;  and  just  as  every  process 
from  the  exterior  to  the  interior  of  the  cell  is  a 
gradation  of  refining  motion,  to  forms  and  vibra- 
tions too  subtle  for  the  comprehension  of  man,  so 
also  is  the  structure  of  the  human  body. 

The  sequence  of  numbers  forges  the  links  in  this 
life-chain, —  numbers  ever  repeating,  ever  reiterat- 
ing, ever  reproducing  and  recombining  —  con- 
strained by  the  Rhythmic  Law  —  the  primary 
Logoi  emanating  from  the  First  Cause.  As  from 
this  First  Cause,  which  is  Unity  (the  Creator, 
Brahman) ,  everything  in  the  manifested  world  pro- 
ceeds, the  basic  Truth  is  that  the  Law  of  Unity 
is  the  keystone  of  the  arch  supporting,  defining, 
and  limiting  all  other  laws  and  their  activities. 
But  since  manifestation  implies  change,  how  does 
this  Law  of  Unity  act?  Every  act  proceeds  from 
an  impelling  influence, —  the  power  of  thought, 
which  is  Spirit  in  action.  God  thought,  and  in- 
stantly the  vibrations  of  that  thought  —  for  us  the 
first  manifestation  of  Force  —  began  working  in  its 
affinity,  or  opposite,  the  Mother  Principle  of  the 
Universe,  Mula-prakriti;  or  Pradhdna;  homo- 
geneous, undiscrete  substance  for  which  there 
are  many  names.  It  suffices  for  clearest  under- 
standing, however,  to  recognize  it  as  the  negative 
phase  of  Spirit,  and  the  root  of  matter,  which  is  al- 
ways negative  to  Spirit. 

Thus  even  Unity  in  action  must  have  two  phases 


234     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

—  activity  and  existence  being  unthinkable,  other- 
wise —  and  these  two  aspects  of  the  First  Cause 
are  necessarily  of  different  character,  opposite  poles 
the  one  to  the  other,  hence  give  rise  to  diversity 
in  Unity;  whence  arises  the  law  of  affinity,  or  sym- 
pathy, in  opposites.  Therefore,  "  pairs  of  oppo- 
sites  "  are  to  be  held  in  mind  as  the  basis  of  all 
activities,  all  change,  all  progress,  and  the  beginning 
of  numbers, —  the  duad,  without  which  the  Holy 
Trinity  were  impossible.  Affinity  is  the  Love 
Principle  which  builds  all  worlds,  while  its  oppo- 
site, hate,  destroys.  The  opposite  of  unity  is  di- 
versity, and  the  product  of  their  interaction  is  a 
unit  which  differs  from  them, —  the  Trinity,  the 
three  in  one,  or  three  aspects  of  the  Primary  Cause. 
The  very  beginning  of  Kosmic  manifestation  was 
an  unfolding  of  this  three-fold  power,  the  Trinity, 
which  was  latent  in  Unity.  To  put  this  in  simple 
terms  of  every  day  life  which  should  speak  to 
every  human  heart  in  a  voice  that  will  forever  echo 
the  truth:  Father,  mother,  and  child  are  forever 
reiterating,  reproducing  the  Primary  activity  of 
the  Holy  Trinity. 

/  These  aspects  are  defined  in  Principles  as  Will, 
Wisdom,  and  Activity, —  the  Will  to  do,  the  Wis- 
dom to  conceive,  the  Power  to  act.  The  ideas  of 
all  created  things  are  inherent  in  this  first  utterance 
of  Supreme  Unity,  which  we  recognize  as  the  First 
Logos, —  the  expression  or  Voice  of  God,  who 


The  Sequence  of  Numbers  235 

spoke  the  Universe  into  existence;  for  the  result- 
ing vibrations  are  the  Holy  Spirit  or  creative  me- 
dium. This  First  Logos  was  seven- fold,  and  dif- 
ferentiated into  the  seven  Logoi,  or  creative  poten- 
cies, (the  Seven  Spirits,  or  gods,  below  the  Trin- 
ity), corresponding  to  the  vowels  of  speech,  and 
acting  through  the  septenary  of  vowel-sounds. 
Thus  sound  and  color  and  form  correspond 
throughout  Nature. 

In  the  "  Book  of  Dzyan  "  (see  Secret  Doctrine, 
Vol.  I.),  it  is  said:  "  This  was  the  army  of  the 
Voice  —  The  Divine  Septenary.  .  .  .  These 
are  called  spheres,  triangles,  cubes,  lines,  and  mod- 
ellers." You  will  recognize  these  forms  as  identi- 
cal with  the  Tattvas,  and  it  shows  you  that  from 
the  beginning  of  manifestation  God  geometrized. 
The  Harmony  of  the  Spheres,  Pythagoras'  "  Voice 
of  Nature,"  is  composed  of  these  voices  of  the 
Logoi,  which  correspond  with  the  seven  tones  of 
the  musical  scale.  They  are  the  seven  heavens, 
or  angels,  who  "  sounded  each  one  vowel,  which, 
all  combined  together,  formed  a  complete  doxol- 
ogy;  "  the  Sound  whereof,  being  carried  down  to 
earth,  "  became  the  creator  and  parent  of  all  things 
that  be  on  earth."  The  forces  thus  set  in  mo- 
tion are  the  Seven  Hierarchs  of  conscious  divine 
powers,  active  manifestations  of  one  Supreme 
Energy.  In  Hindu  mythology,  this  stage  of  evolu- 
tion is  known  as  "  the  creation  of  the  gods,"  the 


236     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

sons  of  Fohat,  or  Force.  These  personified  forces 
are  the  positive  aspects  of  the  Tattvas,  the  nega- 
tive phases  being  the  Shaktis  of  the  Hindu  Sacred 
Books. 

Now,  the  Logoi  must  be  recognized  also  as  "  the 
Seven  Great  Rays "  from,  the  Holy  Spirit,  or 
Primal  Light.  It  is  these  seven  Forces,  symbo- 
lized as  the  "  Elohim  or  Seven  Spirits  of  God  " — 
the  lower  Sephiroth  of  the  Kabala  —  which  define 
the  limits  to  the  links  in  the  chain  of  causation, 
establishing  seven  planes  of  manifestation,  corre- 
sponding each  with  its  primal  Ray  and  its  vowel 
sound,  and  differentiated  the  one  from  the  others 
by  the  character  of  its  vibrations;  that  is,  their 
form  and  rate,  or  number  per  unit  of  time  —  their 
velocity. 

The  Western  mind  has  little  idea  of  the  latent 
power  in  sound  and  consequently  in  words,  num- 
bers, and  musical  tones.  But  number  underlies 
all  form  and  guides  sound.  All  life  is  manifes- 
ted in  numerical  proportions  and  rhythmical  mo- 
tion. Motion,  ceaseless  motion  is  a  condition  of 
all  existence,  and  form  determines  its  effect;  but 
sound  with  its  rhythm  and  accent,  of  which  num- 
ber is  the  expression,  moulds  the  form.  Thus,  the 
Voice  of  God  —  sound  —  shaped  the  vibrations  of 
the  First  Logos  which  contained  in  itself  the  germs 
of  the  succeeding  seven  Logoi. 

It  is,  perhaps,  fortunate  that  we  are  forced  to 


The  Sequence  of  Numbers  237 

employ  the  Sanskrit  nomenclature  for  the  Tattvas; 
because  Sanskrit  being  a  pure,  primitive  tongue,  is 
rich  in  onomatopoetic  words  like  our  cool,  fiery, 
rustling,  brilliant,  scurry.  There  is  great  probabil- 
ity that  the  names  of  the  Tattvas  bear  a  metrical  re- 
lation to  their  signification,  quality,  and  action  on 
the  gross  plane  of  matter.  Hence  it  is  very  impor- 
tant that  they  be  correctly  pronounced.  To  facilitate 
this,  the  accepted  phonetic  spelling  (that  adopted 
by  the  Sanskrit  scholars  who  appreciate  the  need) 
has  been  strictly  followed;  and  to  give  further  aid 
a  glossary  of  all  the  Sanskrit  words  it  has  been 
necessary  to  use  is  appended  to  this  book. 

The  marvellous  building  and  formative  power 
in  sound  has  always  been  recognized  in  Hindu  re- 
ligion and  philosophy,  and  it  has  led  the  East  In- 
dian people  to  have  an  unshakable  faith  in  the 
potency  of  their  most  sacred  Word.  They  believe 
the  manifestating  Word  of  God  is  Om  (Aum}, 
and,  being  "  double  in  its  pronunciation  and  triple 
in  its  essence,"  that  it  expresses  every  power  of 
generation,  preservation,  and  destruction;  that  is, 
correspondence  with  their  Trimurti  (Trinity)  — 
Brahma,  the  creator;  Vishnu,  the  preserver;  and 
Shiva,  the  destroyer;  "  all  one  in  different  aspects." 

Although  there  are  hundreds  of  words  in  differ- 
ent languages  signifying  God,  there  must  be  some 
root  thought,  generalization,  or  common  ground 
from  which  all  the  symbols  spring;  and  that  root 


238      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

thought,  "  the  primitive  idea,"  reasons  the  Hindu, 
"  should  be  the  common  symbol."  He,  therefore, 
seeks  his  fundamental  in  a  root  sound,  asking  him- 
iself  first,  how  sounds  are  uttered  by  the  human 
'voice,  and  then,  "  What  must  have  been  the  first 
sound?  " 

What  organs  are  called  into  action?  The 
larynx,  and  the  palate  as  a  sounding  board.  Now, 
is  there  any  word  which  contains  in  itself  the  basis 
of  all  sounds  ?  Yes,  A um  (Om  —  pronounced 
like  o  in  on,  not  like  o  in  home,  prolonging  the 
consonant  and  holding  the  voice  to  one  key)  is 
such  a  word,  and  the  only  one.  Analyzing  its 
"  triple  essence,"  the  first  letter,  A,  is  the  root 
sound,  or  key.  In  all  tongues,  it  is  the  natural  ex- 
clamation of  emotion,  whether  of  pain  or  joy 
(ah!),  and  the  first  word  the  infant  utters;  and 
it  is  pronounced  without  touching  any  part  of  the 
tongue  or  palate.  U  rolls  from  the  very  root  of 
the  tongue  to  the  end  of  the  mouth's  sounding- 
board;  and  M  brings  teeth  and  lips  together  and 
closes  mouth  and  sound.  The  three  letters  also 
symbolize  the  three  worlds,  physical,  astral  (or 
luminous),  and  heavenly;  the  latter  embracing  the 
other  two  (see  Glossary). 

Thus,  Om  is  a  fundamental  word  covering  the 
whole  phenomena  of  vocal  utterance.  As  such, 
Swami  Vivekananda  pronounces  it  "  the  natural 
symbol,  the  matrix  of  all  the  various  sounds,"  be- 


The  Sequence  of  Numbers  239 

lieving  that  "  It  denotes  the  whole  range  and  pos- 
sibility of  all  the  words  that  can  be  made."  All 
the  religious  ideas  of  India  have  been  and  are 
centered  around  this  sacred  Word;  so  hallowed  in 
many  cults  that  its  public  utterance  has  been  con- 
demned when  not  forbidden.  And  this  ban  you 
will  now  understand  arises  from  no  mere  supersti- 
tion but  is  based  upon  Occult  knowledge  of  the 
tremendous  power  invested  in  certain  rhythmic 
sounds.  I  would  caution  you  never  to  utter  the 
word  or  discuss  its  profound  significance  in  hostile 
or  flippant  company;  "because,"  says  Annie 
Besant,  "  the  sound  that,  working  in  the  harmo- 
nious builds,  working  in  the  inharmonious  destroys; 
and  every  thing  that  is  evil  is  tumultuous,  while 
everything  which  is  pure  is  harmonious  "  (Building 
of  the  Kosmos,  p.  23). 

A  Sanskrit  Mantra  embodies  in  its  words  an  es- 
sential virtue  attributed  to  the  rhythmic  force  of 
sound ;  and  Mrs.  Besant,  addressing  the  Theosoph- 
ical  Society,  in  India,  explained  that  she  used  the 
"  teaching "  of  the  Upanishad  (Mundako)  but 
not  the  "  Sanskrit  tongue  in  the  definite  order  of 
'its  syllables  which  gives  them  the  force  of  Man- 
trams."  She  would  not  assume  the  responsibility 
"  of  repeating  the  Mantram-form "  of  Vedic 
Shlokas  in  a  mixed  assembly  where  conflicting  mag- 
netisms were  gathered. 

I  have  dwelt  thus  upon  the  importance  of  the 


240     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

spoken  word  as  a  caution  to  those  thoughtless  per- 
sons who  frequently  hold  up  to  ridicule  sacred 
words  and  subjects  concerning  the  significance  of 
which  they  are  profoundly  ignorant;  and  doing 
which  they  make  for  themselves  very  unhappy 
Karma, —  that  unerring  law  which  adjusts  effect  to 
cause  on  every  plane, —  which  their  companions 
and  all  those  whom  they  influence  share  to  a  lesser 
degree.  It  is  impossible  to  speak  with  too  great 
emphasis  here,  for  idle  talk  does  more  harm  than 
the  average  mind  can  conceive;  and  hasty  speech, 
the  word  that  hurts,  has  ever  to  be  atoned  for. 
Forces  that  are  uncontrolled,  control  you;  and  out 
of  this  mystery  emanates  all  the  suffering  and  un- 
happiness  in  the  world.  Choose  ye  harmonious 
forces. 

Pythagorean  philosophy  taught  that  the  sub- 
stances of  all  things  were  represented  by  abstract 
numbers,  which  in  a  certain  sense  were  the  ele- 
ments of  the  Universe  and  explained  it.  Every 
number,  therefore,  had  its  specific  value  and  in- 
fluence; and  the  Pythagoreans  considered  seven, 
or  the  heptagon,  a  religious  and  perfect  number. 
It  is  called  Telesphorus  "  because  by  it  all  in  the 
Universe  and  mankind  is  led  to  its  end  " ;  and  also, 
"  because  within  the  decade  it  has  neither  factors 
nor  product."  Plutarch  says  that  Pythagoras 
maintained  "  the  earth  was  the  product  of  the  cube; 
fire,  of  the  pyramid  (triangle?) ;  air,  of  the  octa- 


The  Sequence  of  Numbers  241 

hedron;  and  the  sphere  of  the  Universe,  of  the 
dodecahedron."  When  you  recognize  the  agree- 
ment between  this  theory  and  the  Tattvic  Law  (in 
the  form  of  elemental  vibrations)  you  will,  per- 
haps, think  with  me  that  the  moderns  would  bet- 
ter cease  to  scoff  at  the  "  fantastic  metaphysics  " 
of  Pythagoras,  and  with  humble  spirit  and  open 
minds  study  his  tenets. 

The  number  system  of  Pythagoras  was  based  on 
the  theory  of  opposites  (by  which  alone  Creation 
and  the  activities  of  the  Kosmos  can  be  explained). 
Numbers  were  divided  into  odd  and  even,  and  from 
their  combination  other  numbers  (and  therefore  all 
things)  resulted.  He  believed  number  was  the 
basis  of  order  and  harmony  in  the  Kosmos,  identi- 
fied it  with  form;  and  endowed  different  numbers 
with  their  special  virtues  and  powers. 

The  Pythagorean  categories,  or  fundamental 
opposites  are: 

1.  Limited  and  unlimited. 

2.  Odd  and  even. 

3.  One  and  many. 

4.  Right  and  left. 

5.  Masculine  and  feminine. 

6.  Rest  and  motion. 

7.  Straight  and  crooked. 

8.  Light  and  darkness. 

9.  Good  and  evil. 

10.  Square  and  oblong. 


242      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

The  first  four  numbers  corresponded  respectively 
with  a  point,  a  line,  a  surface,  and  a  cube.  The 
point  ( i )  signified  unity  and  harmony,  or  order, 
having  position,  and  being  analogous  to  the  monad 
(Spirit,  or  Ego),  was  positive  and  bi-sexual,  the 
number  of  origin  and  of  reason;  the  line  (2)  was 
analogous  to  the  duad,  an  even  number,  unlimited, 
because  it  could  be  perpetually  halved,  negative  and 
feminine;  and  represented  matter  —  therefore  the 
possibility  of  evil  —  and  brute  force ;  a  surface  (3  ) 
was  analogous  to  the  triad,  or  triangle,  positive 
and  masculine;  and  a  cube  (4)  to  the  tetrad,  or 
Tetraktys;  considered  the  symbol  of  the  Kosmos, 
because  containing  within  itself  the  point,  the  line, 
the  superficies,  and  the  solid  —  all  essentials  of 
form.  Its  mystical  representation  is  the  point 
within  the  triangle.  Four  was  also  significant  as 
the  first  square  number,  and  as  being  the  potential 
decade  ( i-|-2-}-3-|-4=io),  or  perfect  number. 
Pythagoras  compared  four  to  "  a  world  that  is 
self-moving;  it  contains  in  itself,  and  is,  the  quar- 
ternary."  It  was  the  number  of  justice,  as  was 
three  of  mediation. 

Great  honor  was  shown  to  three  by  all  ancient 
peoples,  as,  corresponding  with  the  triangle,  it  was 
the  first  absolutely  perfect  figure;  endowed  with 
sacred  significance  as  symbolizing  the  Eternal,  the 
first  Perfection,  and  the  three  kingdoms.  Al- 
though the  science  of  good  and  evil  began  with  two, 


The  Sequence  of  Numbers  243 

which  expresses  all  the  contrasts  in  Nature  —  day 
and  night,  health  and  sickness,  heat  and  cold, 
light  and  darkness,  etc. —  it  yet  was  recognized  as 
intimately  connected  with  harmonic  sound,  "  be- 
cause by  doubling  the  number  of  string  vibrations 
in  a  given  unit  of  time  another  tone  is  produced 
which  sounds  like  the  first,  but  differs  in  pitch  — 
the  octave  higher." 

Five  was  called  "  the  nourisher," —  the  generat- 
ing and  fostering  sound ;  for  it  was  believed  that  a 
fifth  was  the  first  of  all  intervals  which  could  be 
sounded;  and  also  it  contained  the  first  feminine 
or  even  number  (2),  and  the  first  masculine  or  odd 
(3) .  Pythagoras  discovered  that  the  fifth  and  the 
octave  of  a  tone  could  be  produced  on  the  same 
string  by  stopping  at  two-thirds  and  one-half  of 
its  length  respectively.  This  gave  the  law  that 
harmony  depends  upon  numerical  proportion,  and 
the  discovery  is  believed  to  have  led  to  his  whole 
philosophy  of  number. 

The  Ogdoad  or  eight  symbolizes  the  eternal 
and  spiral  motion  of  all  things  from  the  atom  to 
cycles,  and  is  symbolized  in  its  turn  by  the  cadu- 
ceus.  It  manifests  the  regular  in-and-out-breath- 
ing of  the  Kosmos  under  the  direction  of  the 
"  eight  great  gods  " —  that  is,  the  seven  Builders 
or  Kosmic  Dhyan  Chohans  (identified  with  the 
"  Seven  Spirits,"  the  "  Voices,"  and  the  "  Seven 
Angels  of  the  Stars  ") ,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  whence 


244     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

they  emanated.  Nine  is  the  triple  ternary,  a  num- 
ber reproducing  itself  incessantly  under  all  shapes 
and  figures  in  multiplication.  It  is  the  sign  of 
every  circumference.  It  leads  to  a  new  dispensa- 
tion and  to  revelation  and  symbolizes  the  point 
of  union  with  the  Higher  Self.  Under  certain 
conditions,  by  the  law  of  opposites,  it  may  be  very 
unlucky. 

Ten,  or  the  Decade,  brings  the  digits  back  to 
unity  and  completes  the  Pythagorean  table. 
Hence  the  figure  i.  enclosed  in  a  cipher  —  unity 
within  zero  —  was  a  symbol  of  Deity,  of  the  visi- 
ble Universe  and  of  infinite  vastness,  and  of  man, 
the  only  creature  who  stood  erect;  as  also  of  the 
primal  activity  of  the  positive  and  negative  forces. 
In  the  Books  of  Hermes,  which  Mme.  Blavatsky 
quotes  (Secret  Doctrine,  Vol.  III.),  ten  is  "the 
Mother  of  the  Soul,  Life  and  Light  being  therein 
united,"  for  one,  man,  is  born  of  the  Spirit,  and 
ten,  of  matter,  and  from  their  unity  —  again  the 
Trinity  —  comes  forth  the  Soul. 

There  is  a  famous  Chinese  arithmetical  dia- 
gram called  the  Loh-Shu,  or  the  scroll  of  the  river 
Loh;  the  invention  of  which  is  attributed  to  Fuh- 
Hi  who  lived  2858-2738  B.  C.  It  is  a  mathe- 
matical square  from  1-9,  so  written  that  all  the 
odd  numbers  are  expressed  in  yang  symbols, — 
white  dots,  emblems  of  heaven;  while  the  even 
numbers  are  expressed  in  yin  symbols, —  black  dots, 


The  Sequence  of  Numbers  24$ 

the  emblems  of  earth.  Confucius,  who  was  a  con- 
temporary of  Pythagoras,  used  these  same  yang 
and  yin  symbols,  with  the  already  age-honored  sig- 
nification above  given ;  and  he  taught  that  the  trans- 
mutations and  comminglings  of  these  odd  and  even 
numbers  —  corresponding,  of  course,  with  forces 
—  kept  "  the  spirit-like  agencies  "  of  the  Kosmic 
world  in  movement. 

Thus  the  theory  of  opposites  and  of  the  funda- 
mental relations  of  odd  and  even  numbers  was  not 
confined  to  a  brotherhood  of  "  fantastic  metaphysi- 
cians "  in  Greece,  and  is  perhaps  worthy  of  the 
serious  consideration  of  modern  scientists.  The 
twentieth  century  has  not  improved  upon  the  Con- 
fucian Code  of  Ethics,  and  ancient  wisdom  is  a 
vast  storehouse  of  treasures  for  us. 

The  seven-fold  permutations  of  the  Tattvas  was 
explained  early  in  these  lessons  (Chapter  VI),  but 
you  are  now  to  understand  that  everything  in  Na- 
ture responds  to  this  number  seven, —  a  compound 
of  three  and  four,  and  the  factor  element  in  every 
ancient  religion,  because  it  is  the  factor  element  in 
Nature.  The  most  tremendous  and  baffling  force 
in  Nature  is  the  mysterious  synthesizing  power  of 
the  triad,  the  "  three  in  one."  It  is  the  Unity 
which  in  all  the  apparent  confusion  maintains  har- 
mony and  order.  This  synthetic  power  is  shared 
in  only  lesser  degree  by  five  and  seven,  and  these 
three  are  most  significant  numbers  for  humanity. 


246      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

Seven  is  "  the  master  of  the  moon  "  for  she  is 
constrained  to  change  her  phase  every  seven  days. 
Thus  she  herself  is  without  the  seven,  being  acted 
upon  by  them. 

Mme.  Blavatsky  says :  "  The  seven  planets  are 
not  limited  to  this  number  because  the  ancients 
knew  no  others,  but  simply  because  they  were  the 
primordial  or  primitive  houses  of  the  seven  Logoi. 
There  may  be  nine  and  ninety-nine  other  planets 
discovered  —  this  does  not  alter  the  fact  of  these 
seven  alone  being  sacred."  What  you  know  of 
planetary  influences  will  enable  you  to  recognize  the 
"  houses  "  as  centers  respectively  of  the  separate 
creative  forces,  or  Logoi. 

Though  invisible  and  inaudible  to  us  in  detail, 
the  creative  forces,  in  the  form  of  rates  of  vibra- 
tion which  compound  and  dissociate  the  atoms  and 
molecules,  become  in  the  synthesis  of  the  whole 
audible  to  us  on  the  material  plane.  The  Chinese 
call  it  the  "  Great  Tone,"  or  Kung.  It  is  the  ac- 
tual tonic  of  Nature,  recognized  by  musicians  as 
middle  Fa  on  the  piano. 

Among  the  moderns,  the  great  French  genius, 
Balzac  (recently  classed  with  Napoleon  and  other 
history-makers  of  the  nineteenth  century  among 
the  demi-fous,  or  half-insane)  was  gifted  with  a 
Pythagorean  insight  into  the  mysteries  of  the  Kos- 
mos.  He  wrote :  "  There  is  a  Number  beyond 


The  Sequence  of  Numbers  247 

which  the  impure  cannot  pass;  the  Number  which 
is  the  limit  of  creation. 

"  The  Unit  was  [is  ?]  the  starting-point  of  every 
product.  .  .  .  The  Universe  is  the  Unit  in 
variety.  Motion  is  the  means;  Number  is  the  re- 
sult. The  end  is  the  return  of  all  things  to  the 
Unit,  which  is  God." 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE    SEVEN-FOLD    CONSTITUTION    OF    HUMANITY 

WE  have  seen  that  proceeding  from  Unity 
through  its  first  uttered  thought, —  the 
Voice  of  God  striking  upon  the  waters 
of  Life, —  Kosmic  vibrations  varied  by  sound,  mo- 
tion, and  number,  and  restrained  by  unison  and 
harmony,  are  the  base  and  order  of  the  Universe. 

Never  lose  sight  of  the  basic  law  that  Unity  in 
action  is  dual, —  that  in  this  fact  lies  the  axial  point 
of  creation,  as  also  the  endurance  of  the  Universe; 
that  right  here,  the  ultimate  of  manifestation  that 
man's  intelligence  can  reach  or  comprehend,  is  the 
Fohat  feeding  the  Great  Dynamo  which  maintains 
the  absolute  rhythm  of  the  Great  Breath  of  all 
Life.  On  every  hand  we  have  proof  of  these  two 
opposed  but  complementary  forces  in  Nature. 

The  attraction  and  repulsion  of  these  two  phases 
of  one  substance  —  that  is,  the  reciprocal  activities 
of  the  positive  and  the  negative,  or  the  active  and 
the  passive  —  are  the  source  of  perpetual  motion. 
While  each  phase  is  in  its  purest  state,  sympathy 
draws  them  together;  when  they  are  completely 
blended,  antipathy  results  and  they  fly  apart. 

248 


The  Seven-fold  Constitution  of  Humanity    249 

Thus  satiety  follows  rapture  and  prepares  the  way 
for  further  rapture;  the  two  phases  ever  building 
and  disintegrating,  mingling  and  separating. 

This  duality  exists  in  every  differentiality  from 
the  First  Cause,  and  therefore  in  every  atom. 
This  is  the  first  bond  of  union  and  sympathy,  the 
phase  of  motion;  it  is  this  that  maintains  the  con- 
servation of  energy;  and  the  next  is  the  form,  like 
seeking  like,  fire  feeding  fire,  water  blending  with 
water,  oil  with  oil;  and  from  every  duad  is  de- 
rived a  third,  which  is  the  synthesis  of  the  triad. 

As  the  seven  sounds,  the  tones,  or  voices  of  the 
Logoi  —  emanations  from  the  Holy  Spirit  of  the 
Primal  Trinity  —  define  through  their  differentia- 
tions, the  limits  of  causation  and,  therefore,  the 
links  in  the  chain;  through  their  activities,  they  es- 
tablished corresponding  planes  of  existence,  or  man- 
ifestation, which  are  called  the  sheaths  of  Brah- 
man. It  is  Brahman, —  the  Creator  who  is  unde- 
finable, — "  The  one  Breath  of  the  whole  Uni- 
verse," who  set  these  limits  to  creation;  without 
whom  there  could  be  no  life;  and  not  till  the  souls 
of  men  realize  this  can  they  attain  immortality. 

Now,  wherever  God  is  —  and  He  is  everywhere 
—  the  possibility,  the  germ  of  development,  of 
evolution,  is  present;  and  it  is  in  this  sense  that  it 
can  be  truly  said,  from  the  Truti  to  man,  every 
atom  is  an  epitome  of  the  Universe,  having  its  cor- 
respondence with  the  sheaths  or  planes.  Con- 


250     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

sciousness  is  inherent  in  substance,  therefore  em- 
bodied in  the  atom  which  is  the  soul  of  the  mole- 
cule, so  that  "  every  molecule  in  the  Universe  is 
able  to  feel  and  to  obey  after  its  kind, —  the  inor- 
ganic as  well  as  the  organic  "  (Perfect  Way,  p. 

122). 

Sir  William  Crooke's  "  protyle,"  the  withinness 
of  his  dual  atom,  is  a  Prithivic  Vdyu  sheath  of  this 
synthesizing  spiritual  ray —  the  soul  of  every  atom, 
of  every  created  thing.  It  is  for  this  reason  that 
to  sensitive  souls,  the  souls  awakened  to  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Spirit,  the  immanence  of  the  God-pres- 
ence becomes  in  all  the  secret  haunts  of  nature  an 
abiding  fact  ever  present  to  their  consciousness. 
Therefore,  these  enlightened  ones  see  more,  hear 
more,  feel  more,  and  receive  more  from  intimate 
association  with  nature  than  those  average  folk 
whose  chief  characteristics  are  their  gregariousness, 
their  obtuseness  to  blatant  noise,  and  their  love  of 
excitement  —  often  indeed,  their  acute  horror  of 
being  alone.  They  are  afraid  of  the  mystery  of 
life  which  in  silence  knocks  on  the  door  of  con- 
sciousness,—  afraid  because  it  has  been  clothed  in 
terror  when  it  should  be  radiant  with  beauty. 

Western  science  is  to-day  ably  corroborating  all 
that  the  ancient  religions  and  wisdom  have  affirmed 
concerning  this  septenary  chain  of  creation,  of  in- 
volution and  evolution.  The  telescope  has  re- 
vealed that  the  great  globe  of  Jupiter  is  divided 


The  Seven-fold  Constitution  of  Humanity    251 

into  a  series  of  concentric  shells  showing  variations 
of  motion  and  character.  The  eye  is  able  to  look 
through  these  varying  planes,  or  spheres  within 
spheres;  and  an  ideal  picture  of  the  spectacle, 
drawn  by  Garrett  Serviss,  curiously  enough  shows 
exactly  six  concentric  rings  surrounding  the  lumin- 
ous central  sphere.  Now  this  central  sphere  is  the 
"  home  "  of  the  ruling  Logoi, —  the  soul  of  the 
planet,  which  rules  its  function  and  emanations 
and  sounds  its  key.  Our  own  earth  has  its  envelop- 
ing sheaths  in  like  manner,  and  its  radiant  center, 
the  Higher  Ego  (this  is  "  The  Glory  clothing  the 
Hidden  Spirit"),  which  is  positive  to  all  its 
sheaths  but  negative  to  its  Creator,  Life  Eternal  1 
Our  sun  holds  in  synthesis  all  the  planetary  rays 
sending  to  every  one  its  own. 

The  astronomical  symbol  of  the  earth  is  a  disc 
with  a  cross  stretched  from  center  to  circumfer- 
ence. Has  the  deep  significance  of  this  ever  oc- 
curred to  you?  It  symbolizes  the  earth-life  of 
humanity;  the  soul  crucified  upon  and  within  the 
four  elements  of  the  physical  plane;  earth,  water, 
fire,  and  air, —  the  stimulators  of  the  senses  and, 
through  them,  of  desire.  The  ancient  Hindu  sym- 
bol called  the  Svastika  (really  a  world  symbol,  as 
it  has  been  found  everywhere)  is  a  modification 
of  the  earth  sign;  and,  explained  exoterically,  sig- 
nifies manifested  life  coming  out  of  the  unmani- 
fested;  that  is,  the  arms  of  the  Greek  cross  bent 


252      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

at  right  angles  symbolize  the  human  soul  on  the 
wheel  of  life,  held  to  its  orbit  by  the  circle  (under- 
stood) of  the  Spirit, —  the  one  and  only  source  of 
all  life.  There  is,  however,  a  profounder  symbol- 
ogy:  The  bent  arms  mark  the  soul's  recognition 
of  its  oneness  with  spirit,  and  its  determination  to 
evolve  out  of  the  physical  sheaths  into  synchronous 
vibration  with  the  spiritual  plane;  hence  into  the 
state  of  spiritual  consciousness.  That  is,  to  trans- 
form its  cross  into  a  crown !  In  all  the  oldest  rec- 
ords, the  cross  was  always  within  the  circle,  which 
symbolizes  Divine  Unity,  time  unending,  and  the 
omnipresence  of  the  unrecognizable. 

You  are  familiar  already  with  the  fact  that  there 
are  seven  descriptions  of  life-currents  corresponding 
with  the  planets,  and  it  will  not  be  difficult  for  you 
to  understand  that  these  seven  fundamental  forces 
in  Nature  are  also  seven  planes  of  being,  which, 
as  Mme.  Blavatsky  explains  very  clearly,  "  are 
seven  states  of  consciousness  in  which  man  can  live, 
think,  remember,  and  have  his  being." 

These  different  Principles,  sheaths,  or  bodies 
have  received  many  names  in  the  different  religions 
and  philosophies  of  both  the  ancient  world  and  the 
modern;  and  have  been  variously  classified  as  to 
order.  Any  attempt  to  enumerate  all  these  and  to 
reconcile  them  would  make  a  book  in  itself.  The 
significant  fact  is  that  these  different  states  have 
been  recognized  in  all  religions  and  every  philoso- 


The  Seven- fold  Constitution  of  Humanity    253 

phy  worthy  of  the  name.  The  Christian  Triad  of 
body,  soul,  and  spirit  includes  the  whole  septenary 
chain ;  but  it  has  given  currency  to  the  common  be- 
lief that  man  is  only  a  triadic  creature;  so  we  speak 
of  physical,  mental,  and  spiritual  selves. 

The  analysis  here  given  does  not  change  the  fa- 
miliar classification,  but  goes  further  —  closer  to 
the  heart  and  truth  of  things,  distinguishing  other 
divisions;  and  showing  how  every  Principle  or 
sheath  influences  and  interpenetrates  the  others. 
The  septenary  constitution  of  humanity  is  symbol- 
ized by  a  triangle  surmounting  a  cube  or  square. 
In  the  cube,  we  have  the  ultimate  of  manifestation, 
containing  as  it  does  the  possibilities  of  all  va- 
riety, of  every  form,  of  all  expression;  all  the  ele- 
ments in  one,  being  the  actual  form  of  Prithivi, 
the  earth  vibration. 

The  cube  represents  the  four  different  sheaths 
which  make  up  the  "  natural  body  "  of  earth  life. 
The  two  outer  are  the  Sthula-Sharira,  or  gross 
body;  and  the  Sukshma-Sharira,  or  subtle  body 
—  the  Etheric-double,  which  is  the  prototype 
and  shadow  of  the  Sthula,  being  the  form  round 
which  the  physical  body  is  built;  and  in  some  of 
its  appearances  it  is  called  the  astral  body.  The 
Sukshma-Sharira  is  the  vehicle  of  Prdna,  which  is 
transmuted  through  the  astral  spleen,  and  thus  the 
life-current  unites  the  two  bodies.  The  nceuds- 
vital  in  the  throat  and  "  the  pit  of  the  stomach," 


254     Thg  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

so-called  (the  great  vagus  nerve  and  the  solar 
plexus),  are  the  points  of  closest  connection  be- 
tween these  Shariras,  which  explains  the  sensitive- 
ness of  these  physical  centers.  The  restoration  of 
those  who  have  been  shocked  by  electricity  or 
smothered  by  drowning  is  effected  through  such 
stimulation  of  these  centers  as  restores  connection 
between  these  bodies  and  thus  recalls  the  Ego  to 
consciousness.  This  is  the  secret  of  the  wonder- 
working Kat-zu  (resuscitation  from  apparent 
death)  of  the  Japanese.  The  remaining  sheaths 
of  the  quarternary  are  the  desire-body,  or  Kdma- 
rupa,  the  principle  which  uncontrolled  gives  physi- 
cal man  the  most  trouble;  and  the  animal  soul,  or 
mind,  Lower  Manas.  Mme.  Blavatsky  describes 
the  latter  as  "  The  reflection  or  shadow  of  the 
Buddhi-Manas  [Higher  Manas'],  but  often  con- 
quered by  Kdmic  elements."  She  states  farther: 
'  There  are  enormous  mysteries  connected  with 
Lower  Manas.  With  regard  to  some  intellec- 
tual giants,  they  are  in  somewhat  the  same  con- 
dition as  smaller  men,  for  their  Higher  Ego  is 
paralyzed;  that  is  to  say,  their  spiritual  nature  is 
atrophied"  (Secret  Doctrine,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  592). 

These  sheaths  of  the  quarternary,  correspond 
as  enumerated  with  the  Tattvas  from  Prithvvi  to 
Vayu. 

The  upper  triad  ascends  through  Higher  Manas, 
Higher  Ego,  Causal  Body,  or  Karana-Sharira  — 


The  Seven-fold  Constitution  of  Humanity    255 

various  names  for  one  sheath  or  principle ;  to  Bud- 
dhi,  the  soul,  or  spiritual  sheath;  and  terminates 
with  the  Auric  Egg,  or  Atma, —  the  Divine  Spirit. 
The  seventh  holds  all  the  other  sheaths  in  synthe- 
sis; but  the  lower  member  of  the  triad,  as  in  all 
trinities,  holds  the  two  highest  Principles  in  syn- 
thesis and  also,  as  the  fifth  from  the  lowest  Sharira, 
holds  the  lower  quartenary  in  synthesis,  and  unites 
them  to  the  higher.  You  have  doubtless  recog- 
nized this  as  the  all-pervading  Akdsha. 

The  two  higher  Principles,  the  duad  of  the 
upper  triad  (6-7),  pervade  everything  in  nature 
from  the  mineral  upwards,  but  only  in  man  is  the 
fifth  Principle  found  in  an  active  state.  It  is  the 
Causal  Body,  the  beginning  of  individuality  and 
consciousness,  and  marks  the  passage  of  the  life 
from  the  beast  to  the  human. 

The  four  lower  Principles  are  those  in  which, 
during  earth  life,  the  Spirit  is  involved;  and  the 
three  higher,  those  through  which  by  ascent  the 
soul  accomplishes  its  evolution  —  earns  its  immor- 
tality. Do  not  think  of  these  sheaths  or  planes  as 
one  above  another,  either  in  the  Universe  or  in 
man.  All  seven  may  be  said  to  permeate  all  space. 
Their  difference  is  a  variation  in  form  of  manifes- 
tation of  one  and  the  same  substance  —  Eternal 
Spirit;  and  this  change  in  form  is  a  change  of  ve- 
locity as  well  as  change  in  combination  of  the  pri- 
mary simple  Tattvas*  The  change  is  best  and 


2$6      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

most  simply  described  as  increasing  density  and  de- 
crease of  velocity  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest, 
which  must  be  understood  also  as  from  inner  to 
outer;  or  counting  upwards  from  the  lower  and 
outer  —  that  is,  the  physical  body  —  the  sheaths 
grow  more  subtle  and  the  vibrations  increase  tre- 
mendously in  velocity  as  they  proceed  from  lowest 
to  highest,  from  without  to  the  radiant  center  of 
life.  All  these  bodies  change,  deteriorate  or  im- 
prove, according  to  the  materials  we  draw  into 
them  through  our  thoughts  and  emotions. 

The  rays  of  the  Spirit  radiate  in  every  direction 
from  the  center  to  circumference,  but  the  atoms 
of  the  separate  sheaths  are  conditioned  to  the  plane 
of  their  manifestation  by  the  rates  of  their  vibra- 
tions. These  definite  planes,  or  spheres,  reflect 
one  another  as  in  a  mirror;  reflection  proceeding 
downward  and  outward,  every  sheath  being  recep- 
tive to  the  next  higher,  and  attracted  to  the  next 
lower;  but  the  Spirit  radiates  outward  throughout 
the  sheaths.  Thus  the  Spirit  is  never  in  bondage 
to  nature,  even  when  working  in  and  manipulating 
it;  and  the  soul,  the  vehicle  of  the  Spirit,  has  but 
to  recognize  its  power  in  order  to  utilize  it  and 
manifest  its  freedom.  The  light  is  always  within; 
but  whether  we  reveal  or  obscure  it  depends  upon 
the  density  of  our  outer  spheres, —  upon  the  char- 
acter we  are  building  for  ourselves  through  our 
activities,  tastes,  and  aims. 


The  Seven- fold  Constitution  of  Humanity    257 

Thus  man  must  master  these  forces  or  be  mas- 
tered by  them;  and  his  whole  task  in  life  is  the 
transmutation  of  lower  forces  into  higher,  whereby 
he  may  develop  the  spiritual  forces  within  and 
come  into  conscious  recognition  of  his  soul, —  his 
Higher  Ego. 

What  chiefly  concerns  us,  then,  is  to  gain  con- 
sciousness on  the  spiritual  plane.  It  is  only  a 
question  of  seeking  the  highest,  and  compelling 
obedience  from  the  horde  of  trivialities  on  the 
lower  plane  which  commonly  occupy  our  entire 
field  of  consciousness,  holding  us  there  with  their 
insistent  demands. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

COLOR    IN    THE    VISIBLE    AND    INVISIBLE    WORLD 

PART  I. 

ALL  that  exists,  the  whole  visible  Universe, 
is  a  manifestation  of  Force,  of  vibratory 
energy  differentiated  not  by  velocity  alone 
but  by  form;  and  every  form  has  its  color,  as  also 
its  tone,  or  sound. 

Thus  certain  colors  are  inseparably  associated 
with  certain  forms  of  vibration,  and,  consequently, 
with  conditions  of  substance.  The  color  is  in  the 
substance,  whether  there  be  light  by  which  to  see  it 
or  all  is  darkness.  For  example:  The  potency 
of  a  drug  or  herb  may  be  recognized  by  its  color, 
and  it  will  have  exactly  the  same  effect  if  adminis- 
tered in  the  dark  as  if  taken  in  broadest  daylight. 
Moreover,  the  form  in  which  it  is  prepared  may  en- 
tirely conceal  its  normal  color,  for  the  great  sol- 
vent A-pas  (water)  has  the  power  to  hold  the  color 
latently,  but  therein  lies  its  power.  In  therapeu- 
tic color-treatment  —  chromopathy  —  the  patient 
continues  through  the  darkness  of  the  night  to  re- 
ceive the  restorative  harmonizing  vibrations  of  the 

258 


Color  in  the  Visible  and  Invisible  World    259 

color  by  which  he  is  surrounded;  and  the  effect  of 
that  color  is  from  its  explicit  action  upon  the  hu- 
man sheaths. 

In  chemical  research,  the  hints  which  color  gives 
are  but  half-understood,  and  throughout  the  scien- 
tific world  its  power  and  mystery  are  greatly  de- 
preciated. In  the  chemical  changes  of  atoms,  all 
variations  of  colors  indicate  fundamental  differ- 
ences in  either  their  constitution  or  their  phase, — 
whether  positive  or  negative.  Dr.  Babbitt's  inves- 
tigations led  him  to  conclude  that  the  positive,  or 
active,  color  was  always  within  the  atom,  and  the 
negative,  or  passive,  without.  But  to  my  under- 
standing this  is  only  a  half-truth,  describing  one 
atomic  phase ;  and  it  is  not  corroborated  by  Occult 
study  (clairvoyant),  which  distinguishes  "  ultimate 
physical  atoms  "  by  their  direction  of  motion,  the 
ever-spiral  force  moving  from  right  to  left  in  the 
positive,  and  from  left  to  right  in  the  negative;  the 
former  pouring  out  force  and  the  latter  receiving 
it  (see  Bibliography). 

There  are  as  many  grades,  shades,  and  hues,  of 
color  as  of  musical  tones  and  combinations  of  geo- 
metrical forms;  so  the  further  we  go  from  the  so- 
called  primaries  of  red,  yellow,  and  blue,  the  more 
intricate,  baffling  and  mysterious  are  these  color  re- 
lations. 

Blue  has  been  called  the  negative  in  nature 
which  holds  all  things.  Now,  replacing  "  blue  " 


260      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

with  indigo  we  have  an  Occult  truth.  From  the 
earliest  ages  Eastern  philosophers  have  associated 
indigo  with  the  spiritual,  or  higher  mind  of  man 
(the  Causal  Body)  ;  but  the  curious  properties  of 
indigo  have  always  been  as  well  known  to  the  prac- 
tical dyer  as  to  the  Occultist.  It  is  lighter  than 
any  known  liquid  and  as  long  as  it  retains  its  color 
and  nature  it  is  insoluble  even  in  ether.  There- 
fore, the  dyer  must  extract  the  blue  by  means  of 
deoxidation. 

In  this  process,  called  "  setting  the  blue-vat," 
indigo  gives  us  a  perfect  object  lesson  of  the  trans- 
formation in  a  substance  according  to  its  negative 
or  positive  conditions.  When  being  made  soluble 
indigo  loses  its  apparent  color  in  proportion  as  the 
oxygen  departs,  becoming  perfectly  white  in  solu- 
tion. Goods  dipped  in  the  white  liquid  are  then 
hung  in  the  air,  when  they  swiftly  turn  blue  as  the 
indigo  in  them  is  oxidized.  Repeated  immersion  in 
the  blue-vat  gives  every  shade  of  blue  from  "  sky  " 
to  "  navy."  As  long  as  dyeing  remained  an  art 
(until  commercialized  by  the  introduction  of  ana- 
line  dyes) ,  indigo  was  considered  the  only  real  blue 
dye  (the  woad  of  Gaul  and  Britain  was  a  northern 
indigo  and  acted  similarly)  ;  and  with  red,  yellow, 
and  brown,  furnished  the  dyer  with  the  natural 
substances  from  which  he  could  make  all  the 
shades,  tints,  and  hues  his  art  required. 

As  you  know  that  the  earth  vibration,  Prithivi, 


Color  in  the  Visible  and  Invisible  World    261 

t 

is  yellow,  it  is  of  interest  in  this  study  of  the  Tatt- 
vas  to  add  one  bit  more  of  dyer's  lore.  Herbs 
which  yield  yellow  dyes  are  the  commonest  ones  in 
forest  and  field.  They  were  called  by  our  fore- 
fathers, "  greening  weeds,"  because  green  was  ob- 
tained by  dyeing  the  stuff  first  in  the  indigo-vat, ' 
and  then  greening  it  to  the  desired  shade  in  yellow 
dye.  Now,  just  as  Akdsha  is  the  omnipresent 
Tattva,  synthesizing  all  others,  so  indigo  corre- 
sponds with  Akdsha  not  merely  symbolically,  but 
because  it  is  Akdshic  —  a  Prithivic  form  of 
Akdsha  —  and  holds  other  colors  in  synthesis. 

You  understand  that  the  seven  colors  of  the 
solar  spectrum  —  so-called  prismatic  colors  —  dis- 
tinguish the  seven  Logo}  one  from  another;  hence 
they  are  emanations  from  and  manifest  the  char- 
acteristics of  the  Seven  Hierarchies  of  Being, 
"  each  of  which,"  says  Mme.  Blavatsky,  "  has  a 
direct  bearing  upon  and  relation  to  one  of  the  hu- 
man Principles,  since  each  of  these  Hierarchies  is, 
in  fact,  the  creator  and  source  of  the  corresponding 
Principle."  This  statement  confirms  all  the  plane- 
tary correspondences  and  influences  explained  in 
earlier  chapters. 

As  every  Hierarchy  is  itself  septenary,  contain- 
ing the  seven  colors  of  the  spectrum,  the  permuta- 
tions in  colors  are  myriad,  but  the  ruling  or  distin- 
guishing color  of  a  Hierarchy  gives  the  hue  to  that 
septenary,  for  its  influence  is  paramount.  This  is 


262      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

the  primary  source  of  all  the  Tattvic  permutations 
and  comminglings.  To  this  infinite  gamut  of 
color  in  the  realm  of  Nature  the  solar  spectrum  it- 
self bears  witness,  for  long  ago,  Sir  David  Brew- 
ster  succeeded  in  counting  not  seven  only  but  2,000 
Frauenhoefer  lines  which  registered  as  many  dis- 
tinct tints  and  hues  of  color.  Only  the  Tattvic 
Law  can  explain  these  as  visualizing  the  varied  geo- 
metrical forms  of  etheric  vibrations.  The  seven 
prismatic  colors  correspond  to  simple,  or  primary 
forms ;  and  their  infinite  variations  to  permutations 
of  these. 

As  of  everything  throughout  the  Kosmos,  there 
is  septenary  division  and  progression  of  races;  and, 
as  Is  quite  generally  understood,  we  are  the  Fifth 
Sub-race  of  the  Fifth  Root-race.  We  are  in  the 
Fourth  round  of  this  evolutionary  cycle;  that  is, 
our  globe  is  at  the  lowest  arc  of  the  planetary 
chain,  the  deepest  involution  of  spirit  in  matter, 
and  the  period  of  the  fullest  development  of  pure 
intellect ;  a  conbination  that  has  produced  the  gross 
materialist, — •  the  intellectual  giant  sans  soul.  But 
it  is  of  profound  significance  that  we  are  far  past 
the  middle  of  the  round.  Thus  all  is  preparing 
for  the  Fifth  round  in  which  matter  will  lose  its 
density.  Why?  Because  faculties  will  be  devel- 
oped that  enable  man  to  perceive  the  withinness 
of  all  things.  In  Occultism,  '  There  is  no 
1  above  '  as  no  *  below,'  but  an  eternal  *  within,' 


Color  in  the  Visible  and  Invisible  World    263 

within  two  other  withins,  or  planes  of  subjectivity 
merging  gradually  into  that  of  terrestrial  objectiv- 
ity,—  this  being  for  man  the  last  one,  his  own 
plane." 

Just  as  every  thought  has  form  and  consequently 
color,  so  sounds  which,  you  know,  are  differentiated 
one  from  another  by  form,  have  their  distinguish- 
ing colors,  hues,  and  tints.  Speech,  which  is 
sound  in  this  physical  world,  echoes  as  color  in  the 
astral  sphere  around  us  and  has  its  influence.  All 
the  wonderful  harmony  of  color  that  delights  our 
eyes  has  its  correspondence  with  an  inaudible  har- 
mony of  sounds.  The  entrancing  colors  of  na- 
ture,—  the  blue  dome  of  the  sky,  the  violet  and 
purple  of  distant  mountain  heights,  the  green  ca- 
dences of  forest  and  meadow,  the  gold  of  the  sun- 
lit fields  of  ripening  grain,  the  red  of  the  igneous 
rocks  and  the  fresh-turned  earth, —  all  these  are 
the  visible  tones  of  the  "Harmony  of  the  Sphere." 

"  The  totality  of  the  Seven  Rays,"  says  Mme. 
Blavatsky,  "  spread  through  the  Solar  system,  con- 
stitute, so  to  say,  the  physical  Upadhi  [basis]  of 
the  Ether  of  Science."  To  the  seventh  sense 
these  inaudible  sounds  will  be  as  perceptible  as  are 
the  colors  of  musical  tones  to  the  clairvoyant  now. 
The  rudiments  of  the  sense  of  sound  exist  in  the 
minutest  fragments  of  the  Universe.  The  subtle 
space-granules  —  Sukshma-Akdsha  —  are  every- 
where, sound  is  inherent  in  them,  not  to  be  disso- 


264     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

elated  from  them;  but  the  sound  varies,  as  you 
know,  according  to  the  form  of  the  vibrations 
moving  through  this  all-pervading  space.  It  en- 
wraps and  penetrates  even  the  minutest  conceiva- 
ble atom  in  the  proportion  of  being  greatly  in  ex- 
cess of  that  atom;  and  color  attends  and  irradiates 
this  marvellous  world  of  activity. 

The  perfected  man  who  has  evolved  these 
higher  senses  —  and  woe  to  him  if  he  misuse  them; 
his  fall  will  be  abysmal  —  comes  into  possession 
of  seven  soul-senses3  so  to  speak,  corresponding 
with  the  physical  senses  but  as  much  finer  and 
more  subtle  in  their  vibratory  force  as  the  soul  is 
higher  than  the  body.  It  is  these  spiritual  senses 
that  will  carry  us  beyond  gross  matter.  The  soul- 
senses  corresponding  with  the  sixth  and  seventh  are 
the  ability  to  recognize  true  inspiration,  and  the 
capacity  to  know  the  truth  of  being;  that  is,  to 
communicate  with  spiritual  intelligences  in  the 
wordless  spaces  of  Chit-Akasha,  or  spirit-space, 
which  is  the  "  knowledge-space  "  of  Swami  Vive- 
kananda. 

Not  words  but  color  and  thoughts  communicate 
ideas  on  this  plane,  and  their  vibrations  are  of. 
varying  degrees  of  subtilty ;  for  every  plane  follows' 
the  fundamental  law  of  septenary  unfoldment.  It 
is  a  region  of  marvellous  color;  etheralized,  lum- 
inous colors  of  exquisite  rainbow  hues,  ripple  and 
flow  with  inconceivable  velocity,  not  to  be  com- 


Color  in  the  Visible  and  Invisible  World    265 

pared  to  anything  upon  the  physical  plane.  Here 
is  the  light  that  never  was  on  sea  or  land.  The 
invisible  world  is  radiant  with  it. 

Dr.  Babbitt  calls  it:  "Psychic  light,  the  di- 
rect messenger  and  servant  of  the  spirit  in  its  re- 
lations to  the  outward  world."  He  further  affirms 
that  these  psychic  colors  "  reveal  the  primary  laws 
of  force  " ;  and  it  was  upon  these  that  he  based  his 
wonderful  and  successful  system  of  color  therapeu- 
tics (Principles  of  Light  and  Color} .  There  are 
from  eight  to  ten  octaves  of  color  in  sunlight  of 
which  not  quite  one  is  visible  to  ordinary  human 
eyes.  But  culture  improves  the  range  of  even 
physical  vision,  as  artistic  training  constantly  gives 
proof. 

Realize  now,  that  man  is  compounded  of  all 
these  forces,  being  an  aggregation  of  atoms 
through  varied  combinations  and  permutations, 
forming  a  center  of  the  highest  activity,  through 
and  upon  which  these  myriad  forces  play  contin- 
ually. These  forces  are  therein  further  trans- 
formed and  pass  out  as  evil  or  beneficent  influ- 
ences, according  to  the  use  man  has  made  of  them, 
to  find  their  affinity  in  other  centers.  Up  to  this 
point,  though  you  have  studied  only  the  five-fold 
nature  of  the  Tattvas,  every  opportunity  has  been 
seized  to  impress  upon  you  that  they  are  vehicles 
for  a  higher,  directing  and  overruling  force, —  that 
they  are  differentiated  forms  of  that  one  dual 


266     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

force.  We  have  found  correspondence  of  the 
Tattvas  from  Prithivi  to  Akdsha  with  five  of  the 
human  sheaths,  but  there  are  seven  sheaths.  The 
logical  mind  at  once  demands :  Are  there  not  then 
seven  Tattvas? 

Yes,  or  no,  according  to  the  definition  we  give 
the  word.  If  we  restrict  it  to  "  an  elemental  con- 
dition of  matter,"  there  are  but  five;  if  we  adhere 
to  our  higher  signification,  "  a  form  of  motion," 
that  is,  force  within  substance,  there  are  seven.  In 
the  Upanishads,  emphasis  is  everywhere  given  to 
the  "  five  elements,"  and  when  a  sixth  principle  is 
mentioned,  it  is  consciousness  or  understanding. 
If  seven  are  enumerated,  both  of  these  faculties  are 
included.  Thus  power  of  choosing  and  directing 
is  always  implied.  In  the  Dharma  Shastra  this 
explicit  statement  is  made:  "  With  the  minute  par- 
ticles of  the  five  perishable  elements,  every  exist- 
ing thing  has  been  formed  in  its  sequence  and  or- 
der." Who  or  what  is  the  Former?  The  high- 
est Principle.  This  is  a  very  clear  distinction 
which  should  be  kept  in  mind. 

Intuitionally  we  know  there  must  be  seven  forces 
corresponding  with  the  seven  sheaths;  so  we  seek 
to  identify  the  two  upper  sheaths  with  what  the 
fine  inner  sense  has  foreseen, —  the  Omnipresent 
Spirit,  Atma,  and  its  individualized  ray,  the  human 
soul, —  the  forces  behind  all  force,  and  penetrat- 
ing all.  Thus,  the  sixth  and  seventh  Tattvas  cor- 


Color  in  the  Visible  and  Invisible  World    267 

respond  to  Buddhi  and  Atma  —  soul  and  Spirit. 
The  latter  is  described  by  Mme.  Blavatsky  as  "  the 
Auric  Envelope  impregnated  with  the  light  of 
Atma." 

Naturally,  these  two  higher  Tattvas  are  as  con- 
cealed from  the  average  mortal  as  are  the  sixth 
and  seventh  senses  from  the  materialistic  mind ;  for 
just  as  Akdsha  —  the  all-pervading  ether  of  space 
—  has  become  cognizable  only  to  comparatively 
recent  science,  and  is  yet  but  half-understood,  a 
baffling  paradox,  so  men  generally  cannot  yet 
grasp  the  power  and  significance  of  the  higher 
Principles  and  the  planes  of  consciousness  to  which 
they  will  lead. 

Until  shortly  before  she  was  taken  from  her 
work  here,  Mme.  Blavatsky  was  not  permitted 
to  reveal  any  information  concerning  the  Tattvas. 
The  embargo  was,  however,  removed  in  time  for 
her  to  state  some  facts  in  the  appendix  to  the 
third  volume  of  the  Secret  Doctrine,  where  she 
gives  the  names  and  powers  of  the  higher  Tattvas. 
She  explains:  "The  doctrine  of  the  seven  Tatt- 
vas (the  principles  of  the  Universe  and  also  of 
man)  was  held  in  great  sacredness  and,  therefore, 
secrecy  in  days  of  old,' by  the  Brahmans,  who  have 
now  almost  forgotten  the  teachings.  Yet  it  is 
taught  to  this  day  in  the  schools  beyond  the  Him- 
alayan Range." 

The  sixth   Tattva  is  Anupddaka,  described  as 


268      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

"  The  first  differentiation  on  the  plane  of  being, 
or  that  which  is  born  by  transformation  from  some- 
thing higher  than  itself."  It  is  the  first  garment, 
or  sheath,  of  the  spirit,  and  the  color  is  said  to  be 
yellow.  This  I  believe  is  its  positive  phase,  and 
that  negatively  it  is  violet,  which  identifies  it  with 
Mercury  whose  phases  correspond.  The  seventh 
Tattva  is  Adi,  the  primordial  universal  Force.  It 
is  the  vehicle  containing  potentially  all  things  — 
Spirit-substance,  Force  and  Matter. 

"  In  Esoteric  Cosmogony,"  says  Mme.  Blavat- 
sky,  "  it  is  the  Force  which  we  refer  to  as  proceed- 
ing from  the  First  or  Unman ifested  Logos  —  Spir- 
itual substance."  The  Sanskrit  meaning  of  the 
word  is  "  first,"  and  in  the  Upanishads,  Adi  is 
described  as  "  The  first,  i.  e.,  Om." . 

As  nearly  as  we  can  comprehend  in  our  present 
stage  of  evolution,  this  highest  Principle  is  a  ray, 
a  spark  from  God's  self,  which  permeates  the  en- 
tire being,  radiating  from  center  to  circumference. 
This  makes  perfectly  clear  and  realizable  St.  Paul's 
affirmation  that  "  He  be  not  far  from  every  one 
of  us:  For  in  Him,  we  live  and  move  and  have 
our  being." 

This  one  out-going  energy  is  differentiated  in 
the  sheath  but  not  in  Itself.  It  is  the  Will  of  God ; 
and  man's  will,  when  controlled  by  wisdom  and 
understanding,  shares  in  this  spiritual  power. 
This  is  the  conquest  of  the  Argus  of  fate. 


.Color  in  the  Visible  and  Invisible  World    269 

If  you  comprehend  what  this  implies,  you  will 
be  convinced  beyond  the  possibility  of  forgetting, 
that  Higher  Manas  —  well  named  the  Causal 
Body  —  has  power  to  mould  every  cell,  molecule, 
'and  atom  in  the  lower  sheaths  to  whatever  meas- 
ure of  purity  and  harmony  the  soul  may  dictate. 
Manas  is  spiritual  self-consciousness  in  itself,  and 
Divine  consciousness  when  united  with  Buddhi. 
But  only  through  a  spirit  of  aspiration  and  self- 
consecration  to  the  highest  can  this  union  of  Atma- 
Buddhi-Manas  be  attained,  and  realize  for  us  the 
full  activity  of  the  spirit. 

You  already  realize  that  the  physical  self  which 
you  know  best  is  a  sensitive  harp  played  upon  by 
myriads  of  vibrating  waves.  The  Principles,  or 
sheaths,  are  the  tones  in  the  human  octave;  and  the 
individual  keynote  is  the  tone  and  has  the  color  of 
the  Principle  most  highly  developed.  The  self 
clearly  proclaims  itself,  its  stage  of  progress  or 
evolution  through  the  colors  which  permeate  it 
through  and  through,  and  radiate  in  its  enveloping 

aura. 

\ 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

COLOR  IN  THE  VISIBLE  AND  INVISIBLE  WORLD 

PART  II 

IT  is  important  to  understand  very  clearly  what 
is  the  personal  responsibility  for  the  key  to 
which  the  Self  responds.  When  this  is  com- 
prehended and  kept  in  mind,  the  frequent  objec- 
tions to  the  public  teaching  of  these  Truths  of  Be- 
ing—  which  hastens  the  evolution  of  the  Soul  as 
nothing  else  can  —  and  the  periodical  alarm  cries 
concerning  the  dangers  attending  the  practice  of 
Yoga  breathing  exercises  will  entirely  cease,  for 
they  will  be  recognized  as  baseless,  the  utterance 
either  of  ignorance  or  misdirected  caution;  both 
of  which  retard  the  advancement  of  the  race. 

In  a  very  learned  work,  Phenomena  In  Spiritual 
Being,  translated  from  the  Tamil  by  Sri  Rama- 
nathan,  it  is  stated :  "  Not  until  '  the  day  of  the 
flesh  ' —  the  days  during  which  love  of  sensuous 
enjoyment  prevails  —  has  completely  passed  will 
Tirodhdna  Shakti  [veiling  power]  manifest  Itself 
as  Para  Shakti"  [all-illumining  power].  But  it 
depends  upon  ourselves  —  upon  our  desires  and  tfc*s 

270 


Color  in  the  Visible  and  Invisible  World    27 1 

•* 

thoughts  we  permit  to  cherish  and  nourish  these  — 
how  long  "  the  day  of  the  flesh  "  shall  endure! 

Further,  'tis  said:  'The  Giver  of  all  know- 
ledge, the  great  Teacher  of  the  Universe,  there- 
fore withholds  knowledge  till  the  time  of  maturity 
arrives  " — Yes;  but  we  hasten  or  retard  that  time 
by  every  thought  and  act  I  To  know  the  respon- 
sibility is  to  know  the  penalty  for  disregarding  it. 
Evasion  is  utterly  impossible.  Here  is  the  safe- 
guard against  misuse  of  power. 

In  the  Upanishads  we  read  that  the  human  body 
made  by  the  gods  (Sephiroth)  is  the  divine  lute; 
that  made  by  man  himself  is  an  imitation  of  it. 
The  fingers  of  the  divine  lute  correspond  with  the 
strings  of  the  man-made;  and  we  tighten  or  loosen 
them,  we  tune  them  to  harmony  or  leave  them  to 
jangle  ourselves.  Discords  are  self-made. 

Remember  that  the  individual  key  and  color  de- 
pend upon  the  predominant  sheaths,  or  Principles. 
While  the  strongest  influence  upon  this  is  the  com- 
position of  the  Prdnic  currents  at  the  hour  of  birth 
(that  is,  the  exact  hue  or  tint  of  the  Hierarchy  rul- 
ing the  moment;  the  Tattvic  state  of  the  currents 
in  the  Hierarchy  and  flowing  thence  determining 
this),  you  have  learned  that  the  dominant  thoughts 
of  the  mind  and  the  consequent  activities  of  the 
life  have  an  overwhelming  influence  in  modifying 
and  changing  these.  There  is  no  evil  which  has 
not  its  opposite  good,  and  every  key  can  be  trans- 


272      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

muted  into  good.  Misuse  and  ignorance  create 
all  evil. 

Irritability  in  the  temperament  makes  a  scarlet 
cloud  in  the  Kama  rupa  (frequently  alluded  to  as 
'the  astral  body)  which  is  the  plane  of  vivid  emo- 
tions and  passions;  and  every  outburst  of  temper 
suffuses  the  whole  sheath.  When  the  tempest  of 
passion  dies  away,  the  color  fades  out,  but  ever 
leaves  a  little  more,  a  larger  cloud  of  the  passion- 
taint;  and  all  the  atoms  of  that  Principle  are  more 
susceptible  to  greater  heat  and  excitement  upon  the 
next  occasion  of  loss  of  self-control.  All  actions, 
both  good  and  bad,  are  thus  received  by  the  va- 
rious vehicles  and  reflected  in  them,  changing  the 
hue  of  the  color  from  moment  to  moment;  and 
thus  man  forms  his  habits  and  from  them  builds 
his  character;  live,  sentient  atoms,  pulsing  with 
his  thought,  being  the  bricks  and  mortar  of  his 
structure. 

Very  fortunately  the  Causal  body  rejects  all  evil, 
which  stamps  itself  only  upon  the  lower  and  less 
permanent  sheaths,  the  matter  of  which  has  greater 
affinity  for  evil.  All  good  and  uplifting  influences 
are  steadily  stored  up  in  the  Causal  body,  making 
it  stronger  and  more  powerful  to  overcome,  and 
thus  the  evolution  of  the  soul  goes  on  in  spite  of 
man's  waywardness. 

So  the  tones  and  consequently  the  colors  of  the 
human  lute  are  irrefutable  manifestations  of  what 


Color  in  the  Visible  and  Invisible  World    273 

the  Self  is  making  and  moulding  out  of  the  oppor- 
tunities of  this  life,  for  they  indicate  his  varied 
states,  physical,  mental,  and  spiritual.  Thus  the 
tone-  and  color-body  of  man  reflects  the  man  him- 
self as  in  a  mirror.  This  is  the  unvarying  law  of 
color,  which  ever  and  always  betrays  the  media 
through  which  it  flows,  and  the  substance  whence 
it  emanates.  And  according  to  the  prevalent  color 
of  the  individual  is  that  individual  played  upon 
and  affected  by  the  color  in  the  external  world; 
for  color  produces  sound  and  sound  produces  color, 
the  interaction  of  the  two  being  invariable.* 

The  quality  of  a  Principle  is,  of  course,  condi- 
tioned by  the  elements  which  compose  it,  and  these 
give  it  a  distinguishing  color.  But  the  shade  or 
hue  —  and  character  and  disposition  depend  much 
upon  this  —  is  determined  by  the  number  of  its 
atoms,  not  considered  in  multiple  or  quantity,  but 
in  grade  from  one  to  seven, —  degrees  of  subtlety 
or  density;  for  every  Principle  has  its  septenary 
divisions  of  Tattvic  permutations,  and  this  varies 
the  order  of  the  colors.  The  physiological  effect 
of  the  excess  or  deficiency  of  the  normal  color  of  a 
Principle  is  profound,  and  every  disturbance  of  a 
Tatt-va  causes  exactly  such  disorder. 

The  difference  in  the  effect  of  such  disturbance 
upon  different  persons  brings  out  in  strong  relief 

*  For  interesting  physical  experiments  proving  this  law,  see 
Mrs.  Besant's  Building  of  the  Kosmos. 


274      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

the  planetary  influences  which  determine  tempera- 
ment and  characteristics;  for  every  Principle, 
simply  reflecting  the  power  of  its  ruling  Hierarchy 
and  Tattva,  which  works  always  in  the  matter  of 
that  sheath,  has  its  special  seat  of  influence  in  the 
human  body,  and  exactly  according  to  the  so-called 
"  accidents  of  birth  "  (there  is  no  "  chance,"  all 
is  the  effect  of  a  given  cause),  primarily  is  a  man 
prone  to  disorders  of  the  head  or  feet,  the  heart  or 
lungs,  the  stomach  or  liver,  etc.  But  all  these  so- 
called  "  heriditary  "  weaknesses  can  be  overcome 
by  healthful  living  and  more  healthful  thinking; 
thought  being  preeminently  the  moulding  power 
of  evolution,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning  of  involu- 
tion. Voltaire  said,  as  the  sum  of  forty  years' 
searching  for  truth :  "  Chance  is  a  word  void  of 
sense.  The  world  is  arranged  according  to  mathe- 
matical laws." 

Every  organ  in  the  body  is  the  center  of  a  certain 
power,  and  it  is  upon  the  perfection  of  its  function 
and  the  harmonious  co-operation  of  all  these 
powers,  that  the  well-being  and  usefulness  of  the  in- 
dividual, his  growth  and  development  to  high  pur- 
pose, depends.  We  are  held  "  Under  the  Law  " 
(Karma)  by  evil,  not  by  good.  In  the  life  of  the 
spirit  we  are  freed  and  make  laws  for  ourselves. 
The  purity  of  soul-vibrations  —  soul-power  ap- 
plied to  the  regeneration  of  the  body  —  has  power 
to  expel  many  seemingly  malignant  disorders. 


Color  in  the  Visible  and  Invisible  World    275 

t. 

Two  facts  must  ever  be  kept  in  mind:     The 

duality  in  all  existence, —  manifested  and  unman- 
ifested,  —  it  is  the  coexistence  of  spirit-matter;  and 
that  all  development  proceeds  primarily  by  the 
triadic  process.  According  to  the  stage  of  the  pro- 
cess, from  the  creation  of  a  universe  to  the  birth 
of  a  human  being  and  the  thoughts  of  his  mind 
(upon  which  his  evolution  depends),  the  color 
corresponds  with  and  indicates  the  period,  in  vary- 
ing grades  marking  the  "  critical  "  state, —  or 
merging  together  of  positive  and  negative  phases 
which  produce  secondary  colors, —  from  red 
through  yellow  to  blue.  But,  never  forget,  above 
these  and  penetrating  and  modifying  all  is  a  spirit- 
ual force,  without  which  they  could  not  exist,  which 
emanates  as  violet  and  indigo,  for  these  are  its  gar- 
ments. This  spirit-force,  the  lowest  form  of  spirit, 
manifests  on  the  material  plane  as  electricity  and 
magnetism,  and  is  to  be  identified  as  a  ray  from 
"  The  Light  of  the  Logos."  Akasha,  limiting 
its  form,  "  introducing  the  principle  of  division 
into  the  one,"  says  Mrs.  Besant,  "  veils  the  Light, 
and  by  limiting  the  ray,  makes  separation,  where, 
essentially,  separation  there  is  none." 

It  is  these  varying  phases  and  Tattvic  combina- 
tions in  every  Hierarchy,  planet,  element,  and  cor- 
responding human  principle,  that  account  for  the 
discrepancies  in  the  many  schemes  of  correspon- 
dences between  planets,  Tattvas,  elements,  and 


276     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

Principles.  The  so-called  "  secondary "  colors, 
which  are  "  critical  "  states  and  triadic,  are  some- 
times called  "  neutral  points  "  in  progression,  but 
they  also  have  their  dual  phases;  thus  violet  which 
comes  forth  from  the  mingling  of  positive  red  with 
negative  blue,  is  the  negative  "  neutral,"  and 
yellow,  which  occupies  the  middle  ground  between 
red  and  blue,  is  the  positive  "  neutral."  These 
two  colors  represent  the  corresponding  phases  of 
Mercury,  and  they  are  preeminent  in  the  aura  of  an 
Adept  during  the  state  of  Samadhl  when  the  Kun- 
dal'ini  has  risen  in  the  Sushumna.  Violet  really 
veils  the  heat  and  light  of  the  spiritual  flame,  and 
derives  its  potency  and  delicacy  from  the  exquisitely 
subtle  refinement  of  this  electric  fire,  which  is  be- 
yond the  comprehension  of  our  finite  senses. 

It  is  ultra-violet,  of  course,  to  which  this  refers; 
but  all  violet  is  intrinsically  the  same  in  nature  and 
in  influence,  though  lowered  in  degree  of  power  as 
it  is  coarsened  in  descent  through  lower  octaves  to 
visibility. 

Mme.  Blavatsky  declares  numbers  in  connection 
with  Principles  "  are  purely  arbitrary,  changing 
with  every  school.  Some  count  three,  some  four, 
some  six,  and  some  seven."  She  further  explains 
that  they  do  not  follow  in  regular  sequence,  and 
that  every  student  is  left  by  his  Guru  "  to  work 
out  for  himself  the  number  appropriate  to  each  of 
his  Principles."  In  a  certain  sense  this  is  true;  yet 


Color  in  the  Visible  and  Invisible  World    277 

there  are  correspondences  of  tone,  color,  and  Prin- 
ciple which,  however  they  may  vary  individually, 
are  best  comprehended  by  assuming  a  normal  or- 
der. 

If  we  hold  in  mind  the  fact  that  all  evolu- 
tion, all  progression,  is  cyclic,  or  spiral,  it  will 
help  to  a  clearer  comprehension  of  some  puzzling 
statements;  for  degree  and  number  must  depend 
upon  the  grade  —  the  height  on  the  spiral  —  of 
the  color  and  key. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

COLOR  IN  THE  VISIBLE  AND  INVISIBLE  WORLD 
CONCLUSION 

AS  we  have  found  order,  law,  and  system 
throughout  the  Kosmos,  there  must  be 
order,  underlying  Mme.  Blavatsky's  seem- 
ing denial  of  it,  in  the  numbering  of  the  human 
principles.  Her  statement  is  true  in  the  sense  that 
the  vehicle  most  highly  developed  is  the  most  prom- 
inent one  in  the  individual,  and  its  color  overshad- 
ows all  other. 

Now,  if  we  think  of  the  predominant  sheaths 
as  representing  the  tonics  of  a  scale,  the  septenary 
beginning  with  the  Tonic,  the  C-scale  man  would 
number  from  his  Tonic,  C,  and  the  F  sharp  man 
from  F  sharp,  and  color  and  Principle  would  vary 
correspondingly. 

Among  the  repeated  references  to  this  variability 
of  type  changing  the  order  of  Principles,  Mme. 
Blavatsky  says :  "  The  human  principles  elude 
enumeration  because  each  man  differs  from  every 
other,  just  as  no  two  blades  of  grass  on  the  earth 

278, 


Color  in  the  Visible  and  Invisible  World    279 

are  alike."  She  also  says:  "Every  man  being 
born  under  a  certain  planet,  there  will  always  be 
a  predominance  of  that  planet's  color  in  him,  be- 
cause that  principle  will  rule  in  him  which  has  its 
origin  in  the  Hierarchy  in  question." 

The  speech  of  man  preserves  the  record  of  time- 
honored  recognition  of  this  fact.  We  say:  "  He 
has  a  martial  bearing."  "  His  is  a  fiery  tempera- 
ment." "  She  was  always  a  little  luny  " —  mean- 
ing not  crazy  at  all,  but  fanciful,  imaginative.  The 
very  word  lunatic,  however,  expresses  the  bale- 
ful effects  of  the  moon's  excessive  and  malign 
influence.  "  Even  as  a  child  he  had  a  lordly  way." 
That  is,  Jupiterian,  commanding.  "  A  Saturnine 
disposition  "  has  its  happy  contrast  in  a  "  sunny  " 
one.  And  thus,  "  A  man  of  iron,"  "  She  is  as  good 
as  gold,"  "  He  has  no  sand," —  these  all  are  sig- 
nificant of  elemental  constitution.  Pages  could  be 
filled  with  examples  of  this  graphic  symbology 
which  has  enriched  all  languages;  and  remember 
that  all  symbology  is  the  expression  of  facts  and 
truths.  In  losing  sight  of  this,  the  moderns  have 
suffered  much. 

At  first  the  mind  refuses  to  accept  this  mere  pre- 
eminence of  a  sheath  as  changing  its  relations  in 
kind  or  quality  to  the  other  Principles;  but  it  be- 
comes possible  when  we  realize,  to  use  Mrs.  Be- 
sant's  words,  that  "  the  sheaths  are  not  divisible 
one  from  another,"  and  that  "  there  are  but  three 


280      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

Upddhis  in  which  these  different  principles  work;  " 
that  is,  considered  as  planes  of  consciousness  corre- 
lating man  with  the  astral  and  physical,  the  psychic 
and  mental,  and  the  upper  triadic  or  spiritual 
realms.  Thus  the  physical  body  and  its  Etheric 
double  are  connected  with  the  right  eye,  the  posi- 
tive center  of  vision  dominating  the  senses.  The 
Kdma-nipa  and  Lower  Manas,  with  the  brain ;  and 
the  higher  triad,  with  the  heart.  The  Occult 
signification  of  this  is,  that  the  Spirit  —  Atma  — 
establishes  centers  of  union  for  these  closely  allied 
sheaths  in  these  organs,  and  the  development  of 
consciousness  in  the  various  sheaths  proceeds  from 
these  centers.  But  this  must  not  be  considered  as 
contradicting  the  fact  that  there  are  seven  states  of 
consciousness.  There  is  neither  sameness  nor  mo- 
notony, but  varying  degrees  everywhere. 

Lack  of  order  exists  also  in  the  sense  that  none 
of  the  sheaths  are  above  or  below  one  another,  for 
they  interpenetrate  and  intermingle.  Thus  there  is 
really  no  higher  nor  lower,  but  an  eternal  within- 
ness.  An  example  from  physics  will  explain  this 
most  clearly.  A  cubic-inch  of  water  expands  into 
a  cubic-foot  of  steam.  In  a  glass  globe  of  a  cubic- 
foot's  capacity  filed  with  steam,  not  only  can  boil- 
ing water  be  added  but  also  alcohol  which  will  ex- 
pand into  just  as  much  vapor  as  if  no  steam  were 
present.  After  this,  as  much  ether  may  be  poured 
into  the  globe  as  if  the  space  were  not  already  oc- 


Color  in  the  Visible  and  Invisible  World    281 

cupied  by  steam  and  alcohol-vapor.  A  familiar 
experiment  with  solids  is  to  fill  a  bowl  with  peas, 
scatter  over  it  mustard-seed  or  other  fine  grain  to 
fill  the  vacant  spaces,  then  add  salt  and  sugar. 
Just  in  this  manner  the  atoms  of  the  various  human 
sheaths,  varied  by  conditions  of  vibrating  form  and 
color,  mingle  together. 

Annie  Besant  says:  "Every  sphere  is  around 
us,  the  astral,  the  mental,  the  buddhic,  the  nir- 
vanic,  and  worlds  higher  yet,  the  life  of  the  su- 
preme God;  we  need  not  stir  to  find  them  for  they 
are  here;  but  our  dull  unreceptivity  shuts  them  out 
more  effectively  than  millions  of  miles  of  mere 
space"  (Ancient  Wisdom}.  But  granted  all 
these  irregularities  and  blendings  one  with  another, 
there  yet  must  be  a  standard  correspondence  of 
Principles  with  Tattvas,  colors,  tones,  and  numbers. 
To  ignore  it,  is  to  lose  sight  of  the  profound  in- 
fluence and  significance  of  number, —  to  forget  that 
it  was  and  is  —  through  the  rhythm  of  vibrations 
—  an  unchangeable  factor,  with  unchanging  re- 
lations to  the  Hierarchies  and  the  Principles  eman- 
ating therefrom,  because  numerical  relation  is  in- 
herent in  form. 

In  the  sense  of  progression  from  the  coarse  vi- 
brations of  the  physical  plane  to  the  inconceivably 
subtle  ones  of  the  spiritual  plane,  we  have  a  men- 
tal concept  in  which  the  numbers  of  the  sheaths 
must  be  unvarying.  When  we  deal  with  involu- 


282      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

tion,  we  may  begin  with  Atma  as  one  and  count 
down  to  seven.  But  our  immediate  concern  is  with 
the  evolution  of  the  soul  in  its  conquest  of  the 
realm  of  matter.  We  are  seeking  to  develop  its 
freedom  and  power,  seeking  to  free  our  real  selves 
from  the  tyranny  of  uncontrolled  sheaths  of  mat- 
ter, and  necessarily  we  must  begin  with  the  lower 
or  coarsest  vehicles.  Therefore,  we  should  logi- 
cally count  from  one  upward  to  seven,  and  the  low- 
est sheath  should  be  the  most  completely  dominant 
or  perfected  of  the  physical  principles. 

The  "  Path  "  now  is  a  spiral  progression  upward 
and  outward;  involution  was  a  descent  downward 
and  inward.  Our  task  is  to  release  this  inward 
power,  not  from,  but  through  its  gross  material  ve- 
hicles, that  it  may  be  active  in  all;  and  we  must 
seek  it  within.  To  do  this  we  must  understand  the 
sheaths  in  which  the  power  is  involved.  There- 
fore the  important  point  is  to  know  them  by  asso- 
ciation with  their  corresponding  centers  of  physi- 
cal activity,  which  are  invariable,  and  with  their 
normal  colors  and  their  tones  or  sounds.  We  must 
learn  the  separate  tones  first  before  we  can  combine 
them  into  harmonious  chords  and  evolve  melodies. 

Remember  that  the  sounds  are  seen,  not  heard 
on  the  physical  plane.  Mme.  Blavatsky  cites  Ex- 
odus, xx.  1 8.,  in  support  of  this,  and  says,  when 
correctly  translated  the  passage  would  read: 
"  And  the  people  saw  the  Voices,  and  these  Voices, 


Color  in  the  Visible  and  Invisible  World    283 

or  Sounds,  are  the  Sephiroth."  Spiritual  man  cor- 
responds with  the  higher  circles,  "  the  Divine 
Prism  which  emanates  from  the  One  Infinite  White 
Circle;  the  ultra-octaves  of  color  and  tone;  while 
physical  man,  "  emanating  from  the  Sephiroth," 
corresponds  with  the  lower  octave  of  visible  color 
with  "  the  objective  sounds  that  are  seen,  not 
heard." 

Want  of  agreement  exists  wherever  many  minds 
have  attempted  to  formulate  a  part  of  this  law  of 
correspondences  without  bringing  all  into  harmony. 
But  this  very  failure  is  evidence  of  the  infinite  va- 
riety in  the  permutations  of  the  Tattvas  and  their 
alternating  phases  —  omnipresent  duality  —  and  of 
the  varying  hues  that  every  thought  imparts  to  the 
atoms  transmitting  that  thought  or  created  by  it; 
as  also  of  different  stages  of  development  of  the 
clairvoyant  who  describes  the  colors  of  these 
thought-and-sound  forms.  A  clairvoyant  may  be 
able  to  see  lower  sheaths  in  an  aura  and  not  the 
higher  ones.  The  lesson  to  us  is  to  ignore  unim- 
portant differences  —  differences  which  are  yet 
mere  matters  of  intellectual  guessing  —  and  con- 
fine our  attention  to  the  facts  which  affect  life  and 
happiness. 

The  scheme  of  correspondences  I  have  prepared 
is  offered  tentatively,  because  no  authority  can  be 
quoted  for  it  as  a  whole,  but  after  much  study  and 
thought  and  comparing  all  authorities,  it  is  the  only 


284      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

one  evolved  from  the  tangle  of  discrepancies  which 
appeals  to  me  as  logical  and  rational.  The  funda- 
mental correspondence  must  be  that  of  vibrations, 
and  upon  the  coarseness  or  fineness  of  these  all  as- 
sociations must  be  based. 

When  we  speak  of  coarseness  in  this  connection, 
and  especially  in  reference  to  color,  it  must  be  un- 
derstood in  a  comparative  sense.  Thus,  red  vi- 
brations, the  largest  waves  of  visible  light,  are  so 
small  that  39,000  of  them  grouped  side  by  side 
cover  only  one  inch  of  space.  The  agreement  of 
red  with  the  fundamental  tone  in  music  was  early 
recognized,  each  being  the  coarsest  vibration  of  its 
kind;  and  in  the  procession  of  octaves  of  both  color 
and  sound,  it  was  found  that  the  closest  ratio  of 
like  progression  existed  between  the  Tonic  chord, 
or  first,  third,  and  fifth,  and  the  triad  of  colors, 
red,  yellow,  and  blue.  The  earnest  student  of  the 
Tattvas  must  already  have  perceived  that  this  triad, 
predominating  in  the  solar  plexus,  exercises  a  pre- 
eminent influence  upon  the  functions  of  life. 

Now,  Nature  has  taken  such  care  to  prove  the 
agreement  between  tone  and  color  that  she  has  not 
left  us  to  depend  solely  upon  the  psychic  vision  of 
the  clairvoyant  who  sees  the  colors  of  tones  and 
voices,  but  through  remarkable  cases  of  sense  ab- 
normalities has  furnished  us  with  indisputable  cor- 
roboration  of  these  relations. 

In  Berlin  an  operation  was  performed  upon  a 


Color  in  the  Visible  and  Invisible  World    285; 

man's  brain  which  required  the  severing  of  both 
the  auditory  and  the  visual  nerves.  When  the 
nerves  were  reunited  they  were  mismated,  the  up- 
per portions  of  the  optic  nerves  being  joined  to 
the  under  sections  of  the  auditory  nerves,  and  vice 
versa.  The  result  of  this  distressing  blunder  is 
that  the  man  sees  sounds  and  hears  colors.  Look- 
ing at  a  red  object  he  heard  a  deep  base  tone,  and 
when  blue  was  shown,  the  sound  was  like  the  tinkle 
of  electric  bells.  But  the  ringing  of  an  electric 
call-bell  produced  the  sensation  of  blue  light,  and 
listening  to  Beethoven's  "  Pastoral  Symphony " 
caused  a  vision  of  green  meadows  and  waving  corn. 

The  celebrated  Italian  scientist,  Professor  Lorn- 
broso,  had  an  "  hysterical "  patient  who  lost  her 
eyesight  completely,  but  was  able  to  read  with  the 
tip  of  her  ear.  As  a  test,  the  rays  of  the  sun  were 
focused  upon  her  ear  through  a  lens,  and  they  daz- 
zled her  as  if  turned  upon  normal  eyes,  causing  a 
sensation  of  being  blinded  by  unbearable  light. 

Still  more  puzzling  to  Professor  Lombroso  was 
the  fact  that  her  sense  of  taste  was  transferred  to 
her  knees,  and  that  of  smell  to  her  toes.  This  ab- 
normality is  very  simple  to  the  knower  of  the  Tatt- 
vas,  who  recognizes  these  locations  as  centers  of 
great  activity  for  the  Tattvas  corresponding  with 
these  senses;  that  is,  Apas  in  the  knees,  and  Prith- 
ivi  in  the  feet. 

Corresponding  with  the  above-mentioned  triads 


286      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

of  color  and  of  tone,  there  is  a  triad  of  form,  the 
triangle,  cube,  and  sphere,  or  circle ;  and  the  chemi- 
cal elements  recognized  as  most  closely  related  to 
these  triads  are  respectively  hydrogen,  carbon,  and 
'oxygen.  But  they  are  none  of  them  simple  Tatt- 
vic  forms;  that  is,  hydrogen,  recognized  by  Babbitt 
as  "  the  champion  heat  atom  of  the  world,"  is  a 
Prithivic  form  of  Tejas;  carbon,  a  Prithivic-Prith- 
wi;  and  oxygen,  a  Prithwlc-Fdyu.  Mrs.  Besant 
says  the  scientist  has  as  yet  discovered  no  atoms 
that  are  not  of  this  physical  or  terrestrial  form, — 
all  are  Prithivic  states  of  matter.  He  has  as  yet 
no  conception  of  the  six  "higher  atoms  that  stretch 
beyond."  But  the  scientific  view  of  the  atom  is 
rapidly  changing  as  we  have  before  this  had  occa- 
sion to  notice.  Already  it  is  recognized  that  the 
atom  is  a  complex  not  simple  unit.  A  single  atom 
of  radium  contains  160,000  electrons  or  corpuscles ! 
Science  is  fast  taking  down  the  walls  between  the 
visible  and  invisible,  and  ere  another  decade  is 
marked  off  on  the  spiral  of  Time  the  materialist 
will  be  recognized  as  the  true  degenerate.  All 
atoms  of  recognized  chemical  elements  —  so-called 
—  admit  of  four  dissociations,  or  separations,  to 
simpler,  more  subtle  states  before  the  "  ultimate 
atom  "  is  reached.  Students,  who  are  interested 
to  pursue  the  subject  farther  are  advised  to  study 
Annie  Besant's  Occult  Chemistry;  and  the  work  of 
Dr.  Babbitt,  previously  mentioned. 


Color  in  the  Visible  and  Invisible  World    287 

With  regard  to  the  ether  (Jfkdsha)  which  per- 
vades all  space,  science  has  at  last  come  to  this 
very  rational  conclusion,  as  Robert  Kennedy  Dun- 
can puts  it :  "  How  much  we  ourselves  are  matter 
and  how  much  ether  is,  in  these  days,  a  very  moot 
question  "  ( The  New  Knowledge) .  Science  has 
discovered  also  that  absolute  immobility  —  rest  — 
is  non-existent;  that  every  particle,  every  atom  of 
the  most  solid-seeming  matter  is  in  an  incessant 
quiver,  and  that  the  velocity  of  the  motion  is  con- 
stantly changing.  Is  not  this  corroboration  of  the 
Tattvic  Law,  which  alone  can  explain  the  phenom- 
enon? 

Think  not  that  these  details  are  a  digression 
from  our  subject.  They  are,  on  the  contrary,  in- 
timately connected  therewith;  for  it  is  most  impor- 
tant as  a  preparation  for  understanding  the  sub- 
tle sheaths  of  the  body  that  the  reader's  imagina- 
tion be  wonted  to  faring  forth  into  this  marvellous 
world  of  the  infinitesimally  small,  a  clear  conception 
of  which  is  so  much  more  difficult  to  form  than  of 
the  vastness  of  the  Universe. 


PART  I 

NO  problem  of  Occult  knowledge  has  ex- 
cited more  controversy  than  the  one  we 
must  now  consider, —  the  correspondence 
of  the  Principles  with  color  and  tone,  and  therefore 
with  number.     For  myself,  I  think  it  not  merely 
unwise  but  impossible  to  surround  it  with  hard  and 
fast  lines.     To  suggest  the  reasonable  scheme  — 
the  one  that  imagination  can  accept,  and  in  things 
Occult  it  is  of  paramount  importance  to  see  with 
the  imagination  —  is  the  utmost  I  shall  attempt. 

There  is  deep  insight  as  well  as  truth  in  the  state- 
ment that  "  those  who  receive  the  wisdom  of  the 
past  or  the  impressions  of  the  present  as  something 
to  have  and  to  hold,  gain  absolutely  nothing." 
That  is,  one  must  form  original  mental  concepts 
of  everything;  receive  all  light,  all  suggestions, 
with  open  mind,  but  think,  ever  think,  oneself,  till 
more  light  is  thrown  upon  the  subject.  The  Yery 
nomenclature  employed  in  this  subject,  the  multi- 
plicity of  names  for  a  single  sheath,  betrays  the 

288 


The  Normal  Colors  of  Man's  Principles    289 

difficulty  experienced  in  defining  and  accurately  lim- 
iting the  activities  and  influences  of  the  separate 
Principles. 

To  guard  against  the  possible  misunderstanding 
that  these  correspondences  can  be  defined  with  nar- 
row dogmatism,  I  shall  try  to  ensure  a  broad  out- 
look, inviting  individual  thought  and  opinion,  by 
giving  the  student  first  a  glimpse  through  the  men- 
tal eyes  of  Mrs.  Besant  and  of  Rama  Prasad. 

The  former  says,  "It  is  written  in  the  Mundd- 
kopanishad  that  from  Brahman  the  One  . 
comes  Life  —  Prana  is  the  word  used.  I  shall 
show  you  presently  that  Prana  is  Atma  in  outgoing 
activity;  the  mind,  Manas,  that  is  the  second;  then 
the  five  elements  as  we  know  them  —  ether,  air, 
fire,  water,  and  earth;  seven  in  all.  These  are  the 
seven  regions  of  the  Universe,  the  seven  sheaths  of 
Brahman,  as  the  SELF  of  the  All  "  ( The  Self  and 
its  Sheaths}. 

As  you  already  know,  man's  sheaths  corres- 
pond with  these  and  put  him  in  touch  with  the  en- 
tire Universe.  Mrs.  Besant's  is  a  very  simple 
classification,  and  clearly  indicates  the  specific  Tatt- 
vic  action  in  the  five  lower  sheaths,  but  she  follows 
them  in  descent  from  three  to  seven,  instead  of 
ascent. 

Rama  Prasad  looks  at  the  subject  differently  but 
is  equally  clear.  He  gives  the  human  Principles 
as  First,  Sthula  Sharira  (gross  body)  ;  second,  un- 


290      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

happy  Prana;  third,  unhappy  mind;  fourth,  happy 
Prdna;  fifth,  happy  mind ;  sixth,  the  Soul ;  seventh, 
the  Spirit  (Nature's  Finer  Forces). 

Thus  he  places  Kama  —  unhappy  Prana  —  and 
Lower  Manas  next  the  visible  body  over  which 
their  uncontrolled  desires  have  so  unhappy  influ- 
ence. These  sheaths  are  those  builders  of  Karma 
that  have  so  potent  influence  in  retarding  evolution. 
Happy  Prana  comes  next  Higher  Manas,  or  the 
Causal  body,  these  being  the  sheaths  through  the 
development  of  which  the  soul  is  released  from 
bondage  to  the  lower  Principles  and  attains  the 
power  to  bring  them  into  sympathetic  unison  with 
her  own  higher  vibrations.  Remember  that  the 
Causal  body  is  the  chief  agent  in  evolution,  and  is 
so  called  because  in  it  are  gathered  the  effects  of 
experiences,  which  "  act  as  causes,  moulding  fu- 
ture lives."  But  all  the  sheaths  have  their  use  in 
the  economy  of  nature.  Only  their  misuse  renders 
them  "  unhappy." 

Notice  here  that  the  fundamental  five-fold  di- 
vision of  body,  life  (the  subtle-sheath),  mind, 
soul,  and  spirit,  corresponding  with  the  five  lower 
Tattvas  which  you  know  best,  is  expanded  into  the 
septenary  by  including  the  two  phases  of  life  —  as 
vitality  exhibited  in  actions  —  and  of  mind, —  the 
thoughts  prompting  the  actions  and  determining 
whether  they  shall  be  evil  or  good. 

The  scheme  is  somewhat  misleading,  however, 


The  Normal  Colors  of  Man's  Principles    291 

for  Prdna,  per  se,  cannot  be  restricted  to  number 
and  sheath  since  it  is  the  Life  in  every  sheath. 
Mme.  Blavatsky  gave  emphasis  to  this  fact,  and 
though  she  gave  Prdna  a  number  in  some  dia- 
grams, she  omitted  it  in  others.  In  many  classi- 
fications it  is  included,  generally  as  the  third  Prin- 
ciple; but  the  lowest  plane  of  Prdna  is  compounded 
of  the  microbes  of  science.  "  Fiery  lives  "  direct 
the  constructive  work  of  the  building  microbes. 
The  co-ordinating  power  of  all  these  sheaths  lies 
in  Prdna.  It  is  through  Prdna,  by  means  of  the 
nervous  system  that  the  "  I,"  the  personality  of 
the  body,  acts  upon  and  through  them  all;  and  is 
responsible  for  the  development  of  individuality  as 
Desire  yields  to  the  direction  of  Will,  and  soul- 
fofce  becomes  an  active  and  determining  principle 
in  the  life. 

In  all  schemes  of  correspondence  there  is  one 
unvarying  agreement, —  the  relation  of  Mars  to 
the  fire-element  Tejas,  and  to  red  and  the  Kdmic 
sheath,  or  desire  body;  but  in  number  it  is  vari- 
ously considered  as  first,  third,  and  even  fourth. 
As  the  body  of  living  fire  within,  the  Tejas  sheath 
seems  essentially  the  first,  for  without  it  life  would 
be  impossible.  The  lowering  of  normal  tempera- 
ture is  the  first  cause  of  most  disease.  The  pre- 
ponderating influence  of  desires  in  moulding  the 
physical  form,  emotions  changing  the  expression 
of  the  face  even  from  moment  to  moment,  and  the 


292      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

thoughts  that  prompt  them  building  character  hour 
by  hour,  is  sufficient  reason  for  assigning  to  this 
sheath  the  lowest  place  in  the  evolutionary  spiral. 
Of  this  sheath  Mme.  Blavatsky  says,  "  It  is  the 
grossest  [that  is  the  coarsest]  of  all  our  Principles." 
The  expansive  character  of  Tejas  vibrations  and 
their  vapor-like  nature,  give  them  this  marvellous 
permeating  and  moulding  power  which  enables 
them  to  enwrap  the  solid,  cohesive  atoms  of  Frith- 
ivi  and  become  visible  as  red,  and  audible  as  Do,  or 
Middle  C,  the  Tonic  of  the  first  major  scale. 

The  lower  the  race,  the  more  visible  is  the 
color  of  this  sheath,  but  more  of  this  when  we 
study  the  aura.  Kamic  atoms  are  diffused 
throughout  the  blood,  but  are  specially  active  in 
pelvis,  liver,  heart,  and  lungs.  The  whole  trunk 
of  the  body,  including  the  shoulders  and  arms, 
is  greatly  influenced  by  Tejas,  and  there  are  also 
subtle  connections  of  this  sheath  with  the  left  ear 
and  the  little  finger  of  the  right  hand.  The  liver 
is  the  general  and  the  spleen  is  the  aide-de-camp. 
All  the  work  which  the  liver  shirks  falls  upon  the 
spleen.  This  accounts  for  the  fact  that  when  a 
man's  liver  misbehaves,  he  is  very  apt  to  be 
"spleeny";  a  most  trying  condition  due  to  the 
fact  that  his  spleen  (that  supposedly  superfluous 
organ!)  is  overworked. 

During  the  life  of  the  physical  body,  Kama  is 
pronounced  "  a  shapeless  thing,"  but  after  death 


The  Normal  Colors  of  Man's  Principles    293 

its  astral  atoms  form  a  separate  and  distinct  entity, 
which  strives  to  attach  itself  to  the  Higher  Ego. 
Mrs.  Besant,  (The  Seven  Principles  of  Man,  p. 
20),  makes  the  nice  distinction  of  confining  the 
use  of  the  term  rupa  (Sanskrit  for  "  form")  to 
this  after-death  "  vesture  of  animal  nature,"  which 
exists  in  the  astral  sphere  for  a  length  of  time 
proportioned  to  the  tenacity  of  the  physical  desires 
which  created  it.*  Being  devoid  of  ethical  sense, 
possessing  only  the  lower  animal  consciousness, 
its  rapid  disintegration  is  the  greatest  blessing. 
Thus  Kama  is  the  most  material  Principle  in  the 
human  septenary  group,  hence  the  sheath  whose 
composite  links  of  desires  for  material  pleasures 
and  experiences  bind  us  fastest  to  the  physical 
plane  and  retard  the  Soul's  progress. 

The  second  Principle  is  the  Sthula-sharira 
(gross  body),  corresponding  to  Prithivi  (earth)1, 
through  its  state  of  matter,  solid;  but  in  color  and 
tone,  because  so  permeated  by  Tejas,  with  orange 
and  Re.  It  influences  the  nose,  lower  posterior 
lobes  of  cerebrum,  the  liver,  and  the  lower  limbs 
from  knees  downward.  Orange  has  always  been 
recognized  as  synonymous  with  physical  force; 
and  it  is,  perhaps,  for  this  reason  and  also  as 

*  It  is  possible  that  Mrs.  Besant  does  not  hold  this  opinion 
now ;  for  in  a  later  work,  Ancient  Wisdom,  she  distinctly  says 
that  as  the  astral  body  [Kamic  sheath]  develops,  "  it  assumes 
the  likeness  of  its  owner  *  *  : '  a  body  fit  and  ready  to 
function  and  able  to  maintain  itself  apart  from  the  physical." 
(Pp.  98-9.) 


294      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

being  the  color  of  the  gross  body,  that  Occultists 
assign  this  color  to  vital-force,  or  Prdna.  This, 
however,  is  not  the  teaching  of  the  Shivdgama. 
Rama  Prasad,  who  follows  the  Sanskrit  work, 
describes  the  positive  current  of  Prdna  as  "  red- 
dish-white," and  the  negative,  as  "pure  white; 
both  being  modified  and  tinged  by  the  flow  of  the 
Tattva  at  the  time  prevailing.  This  teaching  is 
corroborated  by  known  physiological  distinctions 
between  the  sensory  and  motor  nerves;  the  former 

—  the    receptive    and    negative  —  being    bluish- 
white  ;    and   the    latter  —  the    outgoing,    positive 
agents  —  reddish  gray.     The  Tantrists  always  re- 
fer to  the  negative,  or  Rayi  as  "  the  cooler  state 
of  life-matter,  which  is  only  a  shade  of  Prdna, 
the  original  state."     Rayi  receives  the  impressions 
from  "  the  motion-imparting  phase  of  life-matter," 

—  that  is,  the  positive  phase  of  Prdna. 

Yellow  is  the  color  of  the  purest  state  of  Prlthwi, 
the  spiritual  element  in  the  earth,  its  ensouled 
force,  and  predominating  in  the  solar-terrestrial  cur- 
rents flowing  round  it;  therefore,  it  is  uncommon 
in  the  crust  of  the  earth,  which  is  composed  of  the 
grossest  of  its  manifold  permutations,  but  shines 
forth  in  its  perfected  things  —  the  most  precious 
metal,  the  citron  fruits,  ripened  grains,  and  flowers. 
The  fragrance  of  flowers  is  a  spiritual  essence 
stimulating  to  the  nerves  and  conveying  direct  nu- 
triment to  the  soul.  Yellow  is  a  very  precious 


The  Normal  Colors  of  Man's  Principles    295 

color,  deemed  the  culmination  of  light.  I  think 
it  could  be  proved  that  the  foods  most  valuable 
to  mankind  are  yellow.  The  liver  is  most  favor- 
ably affected  by  oranges  and  by  herbs  of  a  yellow 
or  orange  hue,  which  are  also  cerebral  and  nerve 
stimulants;  vitalizing,  therefore,  to  the  whole  sys- 
tem, and  laxative.  The  more  harmonious  the  hu- 
man body  becomes  and  the  purer  and  higher  the 
aims  of  its  indwelling  Soul,  the  stronger,  more 
electric  and  magnetic  is  the  flow  of  the  Prithivic 
currents  through  the  Nddis. 

The  Sukshma-sharira,  or  Etheric-double,  third 
Principle,  is  under  the  rule  of  Venus;  for  it 
corresponds  with  Apas  (water),  and  in  color  and 
tone  with  yellow  and  Mi.  But,  being  composed 
of  four  grades  of  subtle  ethers,  the  red  and  the 
blue  Principles  are  present  to  form  its  negative 
violet.  The  absorbent,  solvent,  and  reflecting 
powers  (as  in  a  mirror!)  of  this  Tattva,  and  there- 
fore of  the  sheath,  whose  substance  has  like  qual- 
ities, make  it  inadvisable  to  attempt  to  establish 
hard  and  fast  color-rules  in  their  connection. 
Holding  the  septenary  of  colors  latent,  receiving 
colors  from  every  source,  and  reflecting  every- 
thing above  and  below,  who  can  say  positively 
that  Apas  is  this  or  that?  In  its  primary  state  we 
know  it  as  white  and  colorless.  But  we  can  ven- 
ture to  assign  it  an  orderly  place  in  the  scale  of 
progression  as  the  normal  state  after  permutations 


296     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

fitting1  it  for  physical  activities.  The  moon  is 
sometimes  designated  as  the  ruling  planet  of  this 
sheath;  but  are  not  all  negative  conditions  influ- 
enced by  the  moon?  I  believe  it  will  eventually 
be  proved  that  they  are.  Violet  is  the  color  some- 
times attributed  to  the  moon  —  a  marvellously 
translucent  silvery  violet,  the  hue  that  silver  as- 
sumes in  certain  conditions  —  and  her  mysterious 
power  over  water  has  always  baffled  the  scientist. 
There  are  no  doubt  very  subtle  and  strong  rela- 
tions between  the  moon  and  Venus. 

The  spleens  are  the  vital  links  between  the  gross 
and  etheric  bodies,  for  through  them  Prana  is 
brought  forth  upon  the  physical  plane.  The  sub- 
tle spleen  absorbs  the  vital  currents  and  transmutes 
and  changes  them  into  the  coarser  particles  that 
become  in  the  gross  body  its  "  elemental  lives," 
animating  the  molecules  and  cells.  The  positive 
connection  of  these  shariras,  through  motor  nerves, 
is  within  the  medulla  oblongata;  and  the  negative 
union,  through  the  nerves  of  sensation,  is  in  the 
solar  plexus.  Brown-Sequard  says,  "  When  a  vio- 
lent sudden  emotion  causes  death,  it  is  by  the  action 
on  the  medulla  oblongata."  The  explanation  is 
that  the  shock  ruptures  the  union  of  the  physical 
body  with  its  double  and  thereby  severs  connection 
with  the  vital  force  (see  Chapter  XXII).  The 
thoughtful  reader  will  recall  in  this  connection  the 


The  Normal  Colors  of  Man's  Principles    297 

A 

prevalence  of  A  pas  —  stimulator  of  taste  —  in  the 
throat. 

Besides  these  profoundly  important  centers,  the 
little  finger  of  the  left  hand  is  influenced  by  the 
Etheric-double  (through  the  spleen,  as  is  the  right 
through  the  liver;  the  little  fingers  corresponding 
with  these  organs),  and  it  is  this  sheath  which 
transmits  all  sense  perceptions  to  the  Kama-rupa, 
the  sheath  of  feeling  and  sensation;  hence,  in  the 
Etheric-double  lies  the  mysterious  power  to  re- 
ceive them  in  abnormal  ways,  as  seeing  through 
the  ears  and  smelling  with  the  toes.  By  so  much 
as  one  sense  is  weakened  or  dulled  is  the  connec- 
tion between  the  Etheric  body  and  its  counterpart 
impaired. 

One  immediate  benefit  derived  from  practicing 
the  breathing  exercise  for  Prandydma,  or  control 
of  Prdna  —  the  exercise  distinguished  as  the 
"  Held  Breath  " —  is  that  it  invigorates  and  har- 
monizes all  these  immensely  important  connections, 
restoring  them  when  disordered  to  their  normal 
balance  and  union,  and  by  so  much  as  they  are 
strengthened,  strengthens  the  hold  upon  life  itself. 

The  psychic  breath  is  the  breath  of  the  spirit, 
and  we  cannot  limit  it  to  the  thought-power  setting 
into  vibration  the  molecules  of  the  nerve-cells.  It 
is  also  rhe  subtle  breath  of  the  Etheric  body 
through  the  pores  of  the  skin  and  it  is  something 


298     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

altogether  finer  than  oxygen  and  nitrogen  that  it 
inhales  in  this  psychic  breath.  The  purity  and 
healthful  activity  of  the  skin  thus  yields  in  impor- 
tance to  no  other  function  of  life. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

THE  NORMAL  COLORS  OF  MAN'S  PRINCIPLES 
CONCLUSION 

SINCE  Prdna  is  the  unifying  and  vitalizing 
force  between  all  the  Principles,  its  special 
vehicle,  the  Etheric  body,  is  subtly  related 
to  all,  though  most  closely  permeating,  in  the  form 
of  vapor,  visible  to  psychic  sight  as  a  perfect 
shadow,  the  physical  body  of  which  it  is  both  pro- 
totype and  counterpart;  for  not  only  does  it  fore- 
shadow coming  disorders,  but  also  it  preserves  in 
its  etherealized  copy  the  mark  of  every  wound  or 
blemish  even  after  they  are  effaced  from  the  physi- 
cal body.  No  surgeon's  knife  can  sever  the  limbs 
of  the  Etheric  body,  and  it  is  this  sheath  that  pre- 
serves the  sensations  of  an  amputated  leg  or  arm. 
lamblichas  defined  this  Principle  as  "  an  unchange- 
able body  of  light  which  does  not  need  anything 
for  its  sustenance."  It  is  the  evestrum  of  Paracel- 
sus. Every  life  has  such  a  body. 

The  healthful,  normal  activity  of  this  Principle 
is  of  immense  importance,  for  it  is  the  medium 
through  which  the  higher  Principles  of  the  human 

299 


300      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

constitution  penetrate  the  lower  ones,  and  are 
ever  trying  to  elevate  them.  This  effort,  arising 
in  Buddhi,  is  man's  conscience. 

All  anaesthetics,  narcotics,  and  nerve  tonics  dis- 
turb the  connections  and  the  flow  of  the  Prdnic 
currents  between  these  two  shariras,  affecting  first 
the  brain  connections  which  become  partially  par- 
alyzed. The  resulting  low  vitality  of  the  visible 
body  is  due  to  this  separation  from  its  prototype; 
the  double,  half-withdrawing  from  the  left  side, 
where  psychic  vision  sees  it  as  a  violet-gray 
shadow. 

Lower  Manas  is  the  fourth  Principle  and  Fdyu 
sheath,  under  the  rule  of  Jupiter;  and  it  corre- 
sponds with  two  colors  and  tones  according  to  the 
influence  to  which  it  yields.  It  is  so  prone  to  be 
ruled  by  desires  that  it  is  often  called  Kama-Manas, 
and  in  this  positive  state  it  takes  the  complemen- 
tary color  of  Kama,  green,  with  the  tone  Fa. 
When  aspiring,  and  therefore  receptive  to  vibra- 
tions from  Higher  Manas,  it  reflects  blue  with  the 
tone  Sol.  This  Principle  is  the  thinking  power 
of  the  physical  man  (the  objective  mind),  func- 
tioning in  the  brain  and  nervous  system.  Through 
opportunity  or  ambition,  a  man  may  acquire 
marked  intellectual  ability  without  possessing  even 
a  dawning  sense  of  the  powers  of  Higher  Manas. 
This  is  the  condition  of  materialists,  who  may  be 
strong  personalities  without  gaining  individuality, 


The  Normal  Colors  of  Man's  Principles    301 

being  complacently  satisfied  with  the  tremendous 
development  of  the  lower  self. 

This  sheath  influences  the  corpora-quadrigemina, 
another  mark  of  its  pronounced  duality,  the  right 
'•ear,  and  "throat  or  navel,"  says  Mme.  Blavat- 
sky;  that  is,  blue  vibrations  above  and  green  be- 
low. 

Manas  Antakarana  —  which  corresponds  with 
the  pituitary  body  —  is  the  imaginary  line  of  com- 
munication between  Higher  and  Lower  Manas, — 
between  personality  and  individuality;  that  is,  it  is 
the  base  of  the  triangle  or  the  upper  line  of  the 
square  forming  the  lower  quarternary  according 
as  we  view  it.  The  battlefield  of  life  is  in  this 
Lower  Manaslc  sheath,  where  desires  wrestle  with 
Thought  for  empire  over  the  Self.  You  know 
how  the  elevation  of  this  thought  power  develops 
Will,  and  uniting  with  it  wins  the  victory  for  good. 
No  fact  is  truer  or  of  more  vital  significance  than 
that  "  everywhere  man  is  what  he  thinks." 

Higher  Manas,  the  fifth  Principle,  is  the  Akdsha 
sheath,  ruled  by  Saturn;  and  corresponds  with  in- 
digo and  the  tone  La.  Its  physical  seats  of  influ- 
ence are  the  pituitary  body,  pineal  gland,  and  the 
head  as  a  whole.  Activity  in  the  pineal  gland 
leads  to  the  union  of  Euddhi-Manas.  Psychic 
vision  is  stimulated  in  the  pituitary  body,  which 
is  the  organ  of  the  psychic  plane.  By  the  exer- 
cise of  free  will,  and  all  development  of  Will  is  a 


3O2'     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

development  of  Higher  Manas,  it  has  a  spiritual 
influence  in  the  heart.  When  Lower  Manas  is 
completely  under  the  sway  of  Kama,  or  is  absorbed 
in  materialism,  Higher  Manas  has  little  opportu- 
nity to  betray  the  fact  that  it  is  the  vehicle  of  im- 
mortal Truth  and  Wisdom.  It  is  this  Higher 
Ego  whose  development  Yoga  practices  encourage. 
All  flashes  of  intuition,  all  inspirational  concep- 
tions which  father  inventions,  manifestations  of 
pure  genius, —  these  come  from  Higher  Manas, 
which  as  "  part  of  the  Essence  of  Universal 
Mind,"  has  access  to  all  planes  of  knowledge  and 
power,  and  knows  independently  of  the  brain's 
reasoning. 

Buddhi,  the  Soul,  vehicle  of  Spirit,  is  the  sixth 
Principle.  Its  Tattva  is  Anupddaki;  planet,  Mer- 
cury; tone  Si;  colors,  violet  in  positive  phase  and 
yellow  in  negative.  Its  physical  seats  of  influence 
are  the  pineal  gland,  right  eye,  a  plexus  between 
the  shoulders,  and  the  heart ;  and  its  spiritual  influ- 
ence is  in  the  Sushtimnd.  The  spiritual  earth- 
force  is  closely  related  to  Buddhi,  and  its  connec- 
tion with  the  subtle  body  is  recognized  by  the  col- 
ors of  the  latter  which  are  a  lower  octave  and  re- 
versed in  activities  as  are  all  things  reflected  upon 
the  physical  plane  of  illusion. 

You  know  the  seventh  Principle  as  Atma,  or 
Spirit,  and  also  as  the  Auric  Envelope,  or  Egg. 
Its  subtle  Tattva,  Adi,  forming  the  Auric  En- 


The  Normal  Colors  of  Man's  Principles    303 

velope,  not  merely  envelopes  but  penetrates  the 
whole  body,  and  its  source  is  a  "  Spiritual  Sun  " 
of  which  our  sun  is  a  physical  reflection,  or  more 
probably  the  vehicle.  It  manifests  as  white,  or 
blue  of  such  transcendent  delicacy  and  illumina- 
tion as  only  those  who  have  seen  the  play  of  inner 
colors  can  conceive.  Of  course  this  Principle  syn- 
thesizes all  colors  as  it  does  all  tones,  and  there- 
fore all  the  other  sheaths. 

The  rationality  of  this  classification  will  be  best 
understood,  if  the  student  draw  a  square  beneath 
a  triangle  and  place  the  sheaths  on  the  lines  in  the 
following  order:  At  the  base  of  the  square, 
Kama,  Tejas  (write  color  and  tone  also)  ;  left 
side,  Sthula-sharira,  Prithivi;  right  side  Sukshma- 
sharira,  Apas;  upper  line  (and  base  of  triangle), 
Lower  Manas,  Fayu,  with  green  below  line  and 
blue  above;  left  side  of  triangle,  Higher  Manas, 
'Akdsha;  opposite  side,  Buddhi,  Anupddaki;  apex, 
Atma,  Adi. 

Notice  particularly  that  this  succession  preserves 
perfectly  the  interrelations  and  paramount  influ- 
ence of  sheath  upon  sheath  as  reflections,  shadows, 
or  rays  one  from  another;  and  therefore  does  no 
violence  to  our  previous  conceptions  of  Tattvlc 
activities,  being  reconciled  to  them. 

With  the  yellow  sheath  above  moulding  its  per- 
manent form,  and  the  red  below  thrilling  it  with 
its  incitements  to  activity  and  emotion,  it  is  most 


304      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

clearly  demonstrable  that  the  gross  body  corre- 
sponds with  orange.  The  "  states  of  matter  "  of 
these  seven  Principles  from  one  upward  correspond 
closely  with  fluid  or  vapor,  solid,  liquid,  gas,  ether, 
'Psychic  Force,  or  magnetism;  and  Spirit,  or  elec- 
tricity. 

Bear  in  mind  that  a  fundamental  difference  in 
these  sheaths  is  the  character  of  the  vibrations 
which,  proceeding  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest 
are  increasingly  subtle  and  ethereal  in  the  nature 
of  their  atomic  particles.  The  highest  cannot  act 
directly  upon  the  lowest.  The  medium  of  grad- 
ually increasing  density  is  indispensable;  and  only 
as  we  purify  and  refine  the  lower  physical  sheaths 
do  we  fit  them,  through  making  them  responsive, 
for  manifestation  of  the  real  individuality  —  the 
Higher  Ego  and  the  spiritually  alive  soul. 

The  objective  form  is  the  only  thing  that  is  per- 
ishable; the  ideal  form  lives  forever.  May  we 
not  draw  the  right  and  hopeful  lesson  from  this 
fact?  We  have  it  in  our  power  to  work  con- 
stantly for  betterment  to  improve  our  ideal  forms ; 
and,  by  so  much  as  we  succeed,  to  externalize  that 
betterment  in  our  objective  physical  forms,  which 
are  the  models  of  future  ideal  forms.  This  is  the 
law  of  evolution,  the  law  by  which  the  atom  is 
evolved  to  purer  states  and  to  higher  power,  de- 
veloping the  latent  and  potential  energies,  the  wis- 


The  Normal  Colors  of  Man's  Principles    305 

dom  and  understanding  to  which  our  race  is  march- 
ing onward. 

Every  thought  vibrates  on  the  subtle  mental 
plane  first,  then  passes  through  the  astral  to  the 
etheric  before  it  rouses  vibrations  upon  the  physi- 
cal plane,  in  the  gray  matter  of  the  brain. 
Thoughts  are  things,  entities,  because  the  fivefold 
powers  of  the  mind  as  already  developed  in  our 
race,  are  all  Tattvic  powers  of  exactly  the  potency 
represented  by  the  senses  they  respectively  stimu- 
late; and  thus  they  unitedly  impart  sound,  feeling, 
form,  color,  taste,  and  odor  to  the  thoughts  born 
of  their  activity  (form  and  color  are  properties 
of  vision,  hence  Tejas  activities). 

It  is  psychic  force  working  through  the  mental 
plane  which  acts  in  all  overcoming  of  physical  dis- 
order or  weakness.  It  has  power  when  properly 
directed  to  build  up  and  invigorate  the  lower 
sheaths,  restoring  all  to  harmonious  co-operation 
in  the  complicated  functions  of  the  perfect  human 
being.  Keep  this  in  mind,  too:  In  this  so  won- 
derful structure,  when  we  speak  of  superiority  or 
subordination  —  of  one  sheath  to  another  —  the 
statement  is  merely  relative.  Every  sheath  is  so 
important  in  the  perfection  of  its  office  that  it 
yields  nothing  to  another.  They  are  all  mediums 
of  activity  putting  the  Soul  in  touch  with  the  ex- 
periences through  which  it  evolves  to  the  conscious- 
ness of  its  vast  inheritance.  Trials  and  sorrows 


306      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

are  often  necessary  experiences  to  rouse  the  Soul 
from  inertia,  selfishness,  weakness,  or  other  wrong 
doing.  None  of  the  sheaths  are  independent. 
All  are  different.  Harmony  is  incomplete  with- 
out every  note  in  the  scale. 

The  Soul  atom  is  mingled  with  other  lower 
atoms  but  never  combined.  To  understand  this 
clearly,  fixing  upon  your  mind  a  clear  picture  of 
the  law,  let  me  explain  a  fact  the  chemist  knows 
well:  Oxygen  in  pure  air  is  mixed,  not  combined 
with  nitrogen.  When  these  two  gases  are  com- 
bined, according  to  the  proportions  used,  the  re- 
sult is  one  of  five  deadly  poisons.  Now,  this  is 
exactly  the  internal  process;  that  is,  within  the 
human  entity.  When  the  atoms  of  the  various 
sheaths  are  mingled  harmoniously,  the  result  is 
physical  well-being;  when  discord  ruptures  the 
rhythm  of  their  vibrations  and  their  harmonious 
(that  is,  normal)  balance,  disintegration  sets  in; 
the  molecules  are  broken  up,  the  atoms  are  va- 
riously combined,  and  disease  results.  It  is  the 
use  or  abuse  of  everything  which  makes  for  good 
or  evil. 

The  substance  of  all  Souls  is  the  negative  phase 
of  Spirit;  very  literally,  indeed,  the  garment  which 
clothes  it.  Faith  and  aspiration  are  needed  for 
the  growth  of  the  Soul,  and  we  must  bring  the 
mind  up  to  unison  with  the  Soul.  By  the  regular 
practice  of  meditation  and  concentration,  that  con- 


The  Normal  Colors  of  Man's  Principles    307 

trol  of  the  mind  !s  gained  which  inclines  it  habit- 
ually to  those  Kosmic  influences  which  are  antag- 
onistic to  all  evil  tendencies  in  the  lower  sheaths 
that  check  our  evolutionary  progress.  "  Faith," 
says  Rama  Prasad,  "  is  nothing  more  than  a  men- 
tal lucidity  in  which  the  yet  unknown  truths  of 
Nature  begin  to  throw  their  shadows  forward. 
The  mind  begins,  as  it  were,  to  feel  truth  in  any 
and  every  place;  and,  drawn  by  the  taste  of  bliss 
(Ananda),  proceeds  with  greater  zeal  to  work  out 
the  process  of  its  evolution." 

The  macrocosmic  psychic  center  which  is  the 
prototype  of  man's  sixth  Principle  —  Buddhi  — 
"  is  the  great  reservoir  of  every  actual  force  In 
the  Universe."  Therefore,  "  by  contemplation 
of  the  sixth  Principle  of  the  Universe,  a  sympathy 
is  naturally  established  between  it  and  the  human 
soul.  Only  that  sympathy  is  necessary  for  the 
universal  Tattvic  law  to  work  with  greater  effect. 
The  human  soul  begins  to  be  cleansed  of  the  dust 
of  the  world,  and  in  its  turn  affects  the  mind  in  a 
similar  way;  and  therein  the  Yogi  becomes  con- 
scious of  this  influence  by  the  slackening  of  the 
fetters  forged  by  Prakriti  [matter],  and  a  daily, 
hourly  strengthening  of  heavenward  aspirations. 

"  The  human  soul  then  begins  to  become  a  cen- 
ter of  power  for  its  own  little  universe,  just  as 
Ishvara  [the  macrocosmic  Soul]  is  the  center  of 
power  in  His  Universe.  .  .  .  When  perfec- 


308      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

tion  is  attained,  all  the  mental  and  physiological 
Tattvas  of  the  microcosm,  and  to  a  certain  extent 
of  the  surrounding  world,  become  the  slaves  of  the 
soul"  (Nature's  Finer  Forces). 

Thus  it  is  that  when  we  cease  to  fear  her,  Na- 
ture becomes  even  more  than  our  friend  and  ally. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

THE   AURIC   ENVELOPE.      ITS   CONSTITUTION 

WHEN  we  talk  about  the  Auric  Envelope, 
which  encloses  the  physical  body  in  "  al 
luminous  ovoid  mist,"  within  and  upon 
which  the  colors  of  the  aura  play,  we  are  not  de- 
scribing something  which  is  conjectured  as  possible 
or  probable,  but  something  which  has  been  seen 
by  many  eyes.  Although  to  the  large  majority 
of  people  it  is  invisible,  except  under  extraordinary 
and  exceptional  circumstances,  all  persons  of  re- 
fined and  sensitive  perceptions  are  conscious  of  a 
distinction  in  the  atmosphere  surrounding  different 
persons.  The  presence  of  one  is  always  calming; 
of  another,  often  exciting  when  not  irritating; 
the  cheerful  person  radiates  happiness  and  cour- 
age upon  all;  while  others  are  more  chilling  than 
a  wet  blanket,  and  the  impressions  received  are  as 
varying  as  the  persons  receiving  them. 

This  marked  something  which  differentiates  our 
fellows  one  from  another  is  their  personal  atmo- 
sphere which  forms  the  Auric  Envelope  extending 
from  some  inches  to  several  feet  around  every  hu- 

309 


310     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

man  being.  That  the  silent  invisible  world  about 
us  is  luminous  with  the  refined  colors  of  the  subtle 
ethers  whose  vibrations  are  streaming  through  and 
surrounding  us,  playing  upon  us  ceaselessly,  is  a 
fact  the  proofs  of  which  accumulate  daily.  When 
our  sixth  sense  is  developed,  we  shall  all  see  these, 
and  the  color-sensitives,  here  and  there  —  psy- 
chically developed  persons  who  are  phenomenal 
now  and  who  see  these  colors  —  are  merely  avant 
coureurs  of  the  evolution  to  which  our  race  Is 
marching  onwards.  In  growing  more  spiritual  — 
and  evolution  must  lead  to  this,  it  is  the  immutable 
Law  —  humanity  will  see  through  everything, 
making  clairvoyance  normal.  The  X-  and  N-rays 
foreshadow  this  condition  when  dense  matter  will 
be,  so  to  say,  non-existent,  because  man  will  per- 
ceive the  withinness  of  all  things. 

It  is  a  familiar  fact  to  many  now  that  the  colors 
vibrating  in  this  invisible  human  aura  betray  be- 
yond all  question  to  psychic  vision  the  nature  of 
the  life  lived;  for  the  aura  is  formed  by  subtle 
emanations  from  the  Principles  most  active  in  the 
body,  the  vibrations  of  which  radiate  from  its  sur- 
face. When  clairvoyance  is  universal,  every  man 
will  stand  unveiled  in  character  before  his  fellows; 
for  every  thought,  passion,  and  emotion  is  regis- 
tered in  his  aura  in  unmistakable  colors,  and  the 
seeing  eye  even  now  knows  the  man  for  what  he 
is.  There  will  then  be  no  need  for  courts  and 


The  Auric  Envelope:     Its  Constitution    311 

judge  and  jury.     Guilt  will  proclaim  itself  and 
stand  confessed  before  those  it  has  wronged. 

Science  is  anticipating  this  era  when  Truth  shall 
stand  unveiled  (and  incidentally  preparing  the 
minds  of  men  to  receive  that  Truth  graciously  in- 
stead of  doubting  the  testimony  of  their  own  eyes) 
through  the  invention  of  instruments  of  wondrous 
delicacy  that  ingeniously  enact  the  role  of  Grand 
Inquisitor,  but  without  putting  any  screws  on  defy 
man  to  conceal  the  nature  of  his  thoughts,  whether 
he  be  guilty  or  innocent,  angry  or  calm,  melan- 
choly or  gay,  studious  or  idle.  And  all  this,  note 
well,  is  achieved  through  registering  the  vibrat- 
ing currents  of  the  unspoken  thought  as  well  as  of 
the  speech  of  the  subject. 

Moreover,  that  these  thoughts  take  body  and 
form  as  they  arc  sent  forth,  is  proved  by  Dr.  Bara- 
duc's  clever  use  of  the  camera.  He  has  seized 
upon  the  photographic  plate  the  exact  form  of 
these  invisible  emanations  radiating  from  the  hu- 
man being.  Dr.  Baraduc  calls  his  photographs, 
"  Portraits  of  the  Soul  " ;  but  it  were  better  to  rec- 
ognize them  as  indisputable,  permanent  pictures  of 
all  the  activities  of  the  human  subject,  whether 
they  be  on  the  lowest  physical  plane  or  aspirations 
of  the  soul.  It  is  a  most  important  service  that 
these  photographs  fully  establish  by  material  proof 
the  fact  that  every  thought  has  its  distinctive  form. 

That  the  rays  from  the  human  being  are  further 


,312     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  BreatK 

endowed  with  the  mysterious  power  of  radio-ac- 
tivity was  proved  nearly  five  years  ago  when  Pro- 
fessor Goodspeed,  of  Philadelphia,  made  photo- 
graphs in  an  absolutely  dark  room  by  rays  from 
his  own  hands.  You  will  remember  that  the  dis- 
covery of  radio-activity  is  the  factor  which  within 
a  decade  has  swept  from  under  the  scientist's  feet 
most  of  the  firm  ground,  the  "  fixed  facts,"  o£ 
nineteenth-century  science. 

So,  little  by  little,  science  is  penetrating  this  in- 
visible world  of  force;  and  every  discovery  but 
corroborates  the  Occultist's  statements  concerning 
these  varying  planes  of  consciousness  whence  every 
force  emanates.  The  scientist  is  coming  nearer 
and  nearer  to  the  Tattvic  Law  which  underlies 
all  phenomena.  But  it  is  most  difficult  for  him  to 
recognize  that  the  external  forces  which  act  upon 
man  —  as  the  "  waves  "  of  light  and  of  sound 
which  stimulate  sense  perceptions  —  are  them- 
selves in  turn  acted  upon, —  that  the  thoughts, 
emotions,  and  passions  of  man  are  so  many  vibra- 
tory "  waves  "  of  physical  or  mental  force  going 
out  from  him  to  afect  something  somewhere!  For 
every  thought  arranges  astral  matter  in  definite 
forms,  the  soul  of  the  form  being  the  thought. 

It  is  inevitable  that  we  all  are  limited  in  what 
we  see  by  the  media  (our  own  auras)  through 
which  we  must  ever  look  out.  Our  judgment, 
our  opinions,  must  ever  be  tinged  by  these  media, 


The  Auric  Envelope:     Its  Constitution     3131 

transparent  films  of  vari-colored  vibrations,  oscil- 
lating with  inconceivable  velocity;  thus  the  vision 
of  many  people  is  very  literally  a  "  seeing  through 
the  glass  darkly."  Let  us  have  confidence  always 
in  happy  eyes,  since  their  vision  must  ever  be  the 
clearest,  looking  out  as  they  do  through  pure,  har- 
monious, and  refined  emanations. 

A  very  delicate,  trained  psychic  sight  is  required 
in  order  to  distinguish  accurately  —  hence  with  au- 
thority—  the  various  emanations  in  the  human 
aura;  but  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  now  to  be  able 
to  see  the  coarser  vibrations  of  the  lower  sheaths 
and  the  five  ribbon-like  bands  of  Tattvic  colors 
(from  Akasha  to  Prith'wi)  forming  a  layer  next 
the  skin,  in  which  the  geometrical  forms  of  the  vi- 
brations flowing  at  the  moment  can  be  distin- 
guished. These  are  beautifully  and  clearly  de- 
scribed by  Dr.  Marques  in  his  Human  Aura. 

Only  as  the  clairvoyant  develops  personally  the 
Lower  Manasic  and  Causal  principles,  is  the  psychic 
power  gained  to  see  the  auras  of  these  higher 
sheaths,  for  they  are  increasingly  subtle  and  are 
alone  visible  to  like  refinement  of  consciousness. 
As  psychic  vision  penetrates  plane  after  plane,  it 
is  as  if  veil  after  veil  were  removed. 

It  is  the  desire  aura,  or  emanations  from  the 
'Kamic  sheath,  which  extends  from  ten  to  twelve 
inches  outside  the  physical  body,  with  which  the 
lowest  grade  of  psychic  sight  is  most  familiar. 


314     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

This  is  referred  to  as  the  "  Astral  Body  "  by  Mr. 
Leadbeater  (Man  Visible  and  Invisible),  and  as 
it  is  composed  of  astral  matter  it  is  an  astral  body. 
But  the  intangible  self  that  travels  far  from  the 
body  during  life  is  the  Mdydvi-rupa,  or  "  illusion 
form." 

According  to  Mme.  Blavatsky,  "  The  Mdydvl 
Rupa  is  composed  of  the  astral  body  as  Upddhi 
[base],  the  guiding  intelligence  of  the  heart,  and 
the  attributes  and  qualities  from  the  Auric  En- 
velope "  (Secret  Doctrine,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  560).  It 
is  created  by  the  intense  thought  of  the  person, 
and  on  occasions  has  been  done  unconsciously. 
Only  Adepts  have  the  power  to  project  this  form 
at  will,  and  they  can  endow  it  with  strength  and 
impart  to  it  every  appearance  of  tangibility. 

Unfortunately,  the  term  astral  body  has  been 
used  very  loosely.  But  instead  of  any  disagree- 
ment or  controversy  as  to  which,  the  Etheric 
double  or  the  Kdmic  sheath  should  be  thus  named, 
it  were  better  far  to  understand  that  there  are 
different  astral  bodies, —  that  the  term  is  not  spe- 
cific. Mrs.  Besant  says :  "  Any  body  formed  of 
astral  matter  is  an  astral  body,  but  its  properties 
will  vary  with  the  principles  with  which  it  is  in- 
formed." The  astral  body  is  said  to  be  molecu- 
lar, however  etherealized  it  may  be. 

The  astral  world  is  the  next  one  in  refinement 
of  matter  to  the  physical  world  which  normal  sight 


The  Auric  Envelope:     Its  Constitution 

cognizes.  The  separation,  like  the  different 
sheaths  of  our  bodies,  is  one  of  condition  not  of 
place. 

The  septenary  law  holds  good  on  every  plane, 
and  astral  matter  is  of  varying  grades  of  density. 
There  are,  so  to  speak,  astral  solids,  liquids,  gases, 
and  ethers  as  on  the  physical  plane  we  know  best, 
but  all  are  finer.  There  is  practically  no  limit  to 
the  subdivisions  of  matter  by  ever-increasing  refine- 
ment of  its  atoms;  and  life  is  more  highly  vital- 
ized, and  form  is  ever  more  and  more  plastic  as 
decreasing  density  presents  less  resistance  to  the 
thought-forces  which  continually  change  and  re- 
mould it. 

Ethereal  matter  is  astral,  and  the  latter  name 
was  given  because  of  the  luminous  or  starlike  bril- 
liancy of  its  most  refined  states.  The  matter  of 
the  lowest  subdivision  of  the  astral  world,  corre- 
sponding to  our  physical,  scarce  deserves  the  name, 
but  wanting  a  better  distinction  we  must  use  it.  To 
astral  sight  the  astral  world  is  visible;  but  to  den- 
izens of  that  plane  there  exist  the  same  limits  of 
condition  as  here,  self-created  through  the  mental 
activities  which  in  selecting  the  materials  used 
erect  the  wall  of  separation. 

The  fineness  or  coarseness  of  the  Kdmlc  astral 
body  depends  upon  the  emotions  and  thoughts 
that  play  through  it  during  this  physical  life.  In 
low  states  of  development,  desire,  stimulated  from 


316      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

without, —  living  entirely  in  external  things, — 
rules  both  body  and  mind.  Such  persons  are 
weak-willed,  and  are  at  the  beck  and  call  of  every 
suggestion  and  impulse.  They  build  strong 
Kdmic  sheaths  which  furnish  the  plasma  for  en- 
during Kdma-rupas  of  the  grossest  astral  matter, 
—  the  most  permanent  astral  body. 

As  the  person  increases  in  intelligence,  if  the 
ethical  keeps  pace  with  the  mental  development, 
self-control  is  gained  and  the  activities  of  the  life 
are  prompted  from  within;  thus  finer  materials  are 
attracted,  and  the  Kdmic  sheath  increases  in  size, 
becoming  purer  and  more  distinct  and  stable.  The 
vibrations  oT  all  Principles  gain  in  refinement  and 
purity  when  the  mind  governs  desires  instead  of 
responding  to  the  outward  stimuli  of  the  senses, 
and  only  then  can  evolution  proceed  apace.  It 
is  the  difference  in  the  state  of  matter  which  raises 
all  bars  of  incomprehension  and  misunderstanding. 
As  we  refine  the  vibrations  of  our  different  Prin- 
ciples we  refine  their  constituent  matter,  and  open 
to  ourselves  plane  after  plane  of  consciousness. 

Remember,  always,  that  the  separation  between 
these  worlds,  or  planes  of  consciousness,  is  one  of 
constitution,  not  of  place.  Encircling  spheres  are 
constantly  alluded  to,  but  they  are  "  concentric, 
interpenetrating  spheres."  There  is  really  no  sepa- 
ration except  of  condition, —  a  fact  constantly 
proved  in  concentration,  when  consciousness  passes 


The  Auric  Envelope:     Its  Constitution 

successively  through  these  sheaths,  withdrawing, 
as  the  state  of  Samadhi  approaches,  more  and  more 
remotely  from  the  purely  physical  to  the  highest 
spiritual. 

The  Psychic,  or  Lower  Manasic,  sheath  grows 
exactly  in  proportion  as  the  mind  develops.  With 
the  growth  of  the  higher  capacities  of  the  mind, 
the  aura  becomes  a  very  beautiful,  irradiating  one, 
penetrating  and  extending  beyond  the  Kamic 
sheath.  The  all-pervading  Akdsha  is  the  medium, 
or  atmosphere,  in  which  the  emanations  of  the 
several  sheaths  flow  and  intermingle;  while  Atma 
is  both  within  and  without,  the  force  behind  force 
in  every  vibration.  Enveloping  all,  though  lim- 
ited by  the  self-development  of  the  individual, 
even  Atma  is  constrained  by  the  medium,  its  den- 
sity or  rarity,  through  which  it  manifests. 

Thus  the  aura  is  an  absolute  revelation  of  the 
divinity  within.  When  it  emanates  from  a  radiant 
center  nourished  by  a  spiritually  alive  soul,  it  pro- 
claims the  purity  and  light  within  by  the  greater 
size  of  the  separate  auras,  and  by  the  transcendent 
radiance  of  the  colors. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

THE   AURIC   ENVELOPE:       HOW  AFFECTED 

ALTHOUGH  personal  character  determines 
certain  prevalent  and  more  or  less  perma- 
nent colors,  the  human  aura  expands  and 
varies  in  colors  and  hues  according  to  the  nature 
and  the  intensity  of  man's  thoughts  and  emotions, 
every  thought  having  its  effect.  Thus  the  aura 
reflects  absolutely  what  is  transpiring  within.  In- 
deed, Occultists  say,  "  The  astral  man,  whose 
color  is  determined  by  his  evolutionary  progress, 
is  the  real  man."  The  clearness  of  the  thought- 
form  depends  upon  the  thinking;  if  one  is  vivid, 
so  will  the  other  be ;  and  the  purity  and  beauty  of 
the  colors  depends  upon  the  purity  and  virtue  of 
the  thought.  Indefinite  thoughts  make  forms  as 
cloudy  and  vague  as  the  forces  whence  they  eman- 
ate. In  such  cases,  the  colors  blend  indistinctly. 
The  dreamer  to  "  dream  true "  must  picture 
clearly.  No  effect  is  greater  than  its  cause. 

Of  all  psychic  conditions  no  other  is  so  infec- 
tious as  depression,  which  grays  all  colors  till  in- 
digo absorbs  them.  Worry,  anxiety,  and  irrita- 


The  Auric  Envelope:     How  Affected    319 

tion  also  degrade  the  colors;  vicious  passions  and 
vices  pollute  them.  All  degradation  of  colors 
by  graying  and  browning  changes  and  lowers  their 
signification  and  coarsens  their  atomic  structure. 
In  every  color  this  change  is  the  seal  of  intense 
egoism,  and  usually  of  absorption  in  things  ma- 
terial, in  sordid  and  selfish  interests. 

Remember  that  Nature  works  the  same  on  all 
her  planes.  God  placed  in  her  hands  the  imple- 
ment of  vibratory  Force,  and  through  the  varied 
character  of  these  vibrations  she  chisels  all  forms, 
making  fine  forces  visible  through  their  color 
which  proclaims  their  character  and  effect.  We 
have  the  reflection  of  all  the  "  Forty-nine  Fires  " 
within  us.  It  is  a  comforting  thought  that  the 
possibility  of  every  color,  every  hue,  every  tone  — 
therefore  of  all  perfection  —  Is  within.  Verily  a 
bewilderingly  complex  creature  is  man. 

It  is  this  variety  of  color  which  makes  possible 
such  a  range  of  vocal  power  —  especially  influ- 
enced by  Apas,  the  water  vibration  —  for  every 
modulation  of  tone  is  the  effect  of  a  distinctive 
modification  of  .form  through  Tattvic  permuta- 
tions; and  hence  has  its  special  shade,  tint,  or  hue 
of  color.  Different  tints  are  produced  by  ming- 
ling a  color  with  white;  shades,  by  darkening  or 
deepening  with  indigo  or  black;  and  hues,  by  the 
blending  of  color  with  color,  which  gives  us  green- 
blues,  yellow-greens,  and  reddish-blues.  Rama 


j$2O     fThe  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

IPrasad  says,  "  Various  diseases  may  be  cured,  and 
good  and  bad  tendencies  imprinted  on  the  Prana 
by  the  power  of  sound;"  because  sound  imparts 
to  the  vital  force  its  own  colors,  modified  only 
in  degree  by  the  individual  Prana  upon  which  sus- 
ceptibility depends.  Do  you  realize  when  listen- 
ing to  music  that  every  tone  has  its  distinguishing 
color  and  throws  the  ether  and  the  air  into  vibra- 
tions of  exquisite  form,  and  thereby  affects  for 
good  or  ill  the  hearer? 

Thus,  a  Tejas-coloTed  song  rouses  heat  and  ex- 
citement (as  witness  the  effect  of  all  patriotic 
songs),  and  may  provoke  intense  emotion.  The 
W  kasha-colored  song  deepens  melancholy  and  may 
cause  fear  and  f orgetfulness ;  and  as  every  emotion 
of  the  human  heart  has  its  color,  the  sound  of  that 
color  tends  to  rouse  its  corresponding  emotion. 
The  important  science  of  color  therapeutics,  or 
chromopathy  is  based  upon  this  fact,  as  also  all 
musical  therapeutics,  or  "  medical  music  "  as  the 
cult  was  called  when  first  revived  a  hundred  years 
ago. 

The  part  that  sound  plays  in  our  lives  is  so  de- 
preciated, so  profoundly  misunderstood,  that  too 
great  emphasis  cannot  be  given  to  these  particu- 
lars; and  repetition  must  be  pardoned,  for  some 
minds  can  be  reached  only  by  such  reiteration. 

Here  is  a  good  maxim  to  be  given  a  prominent 
place  in  the  home : 


The  Auric  Envelope:     How  Affected    321 

Sound  is  ever  creating  something.  Shall  it  be 
evil  or  good? 

A  few  years  ago,  when  the  National  Society  of 
Musical  Therapeutics  was  formed  in  New  York, 
the  newspapers  took  the  usual  lively  interest  in  de- 
veloping a  "  sensation,"  and  interviewed  many 
prominent  physicians  to  obtain  "  views  "  on  the 
subject.  The  ignorance  developed  was  amazing. 
One  of  the  most  noted  nerve-specialists  ( ?)  in 
town  said :  "  I  have  found  music  attractive  to 
idiots,  degenerates,  and  persons  of  abnormal  tem- 
peraments; but  I  do  not  regard  it  as  a  therapeutic 
agent.  ...  A  sonata  of  Beethoven's  may 
benefit  a  lunatic,  but  in  that  case  so  would  the 
rattle  of  elevated  railroad  trains."  Thus  this 
so  learned  specialist  is  unable  to  distinguish  be- 
tween building  and  disintegrating  sounds  —  be- 
tween harmony  and  disrupturing  discord  —  and 
is  absolutely  deaf  and  blind  to  their  corresponding 
effects  upon  the  nerves, —  man's  sound-register  1 

Every  tone  of  the  human  voice,  whether  in 
speech  or  song,  shares  with  the  thought  it  expresses 
in  the  effect  upon  the  vital  currents  and  their  eman- 
ations in  the  auras.  It  affects  instantly  the  aura  of 
the  speaker,  then  influences  those  of  his  hearers. 
Therefore  is  the  training  of  the  speaking  voice  of 
highest  importance  in  the  perfecting  of  the  indi- 
vidual. "If  the  words  we  utter  bear  the  color 
of  the  Agni  Tattva  [  Tejas~\  —  anger,  love,  lust  — 


322      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

our  Prana  is  colored  red,  and  this  redness  turns 
upon  ourselves.  It  may  burn  up  our  substance, 
we  may  look  lean  and  lank,  we  may  have  ten 
thousand  other  diseases.  Terrible  retribution  of 
angry  words!  If  our  words  are  full  of  divine 
love  and  adoration,  kindness  and  morality,  words 
which  give  pleasure  and  satisfaction  to  whosoever 

hears  them  —  the  colors  of  the  Prithivi  and  the 

•A 

Apas  —  we  become  loving  and  beloved,  adoring 
and  adored,  kind  and  moral,  pleasing  and  pleased, 
satisfying  and  ever  satisfied "  (Nature's  Finer 
Forces) .  ( 

As  I  quote  the  above,  there  is  brought  to  my  at- 
tention a  most  interesting  result  from  experiments 
in  chick-breeding  in  a  great  hennery  which  is  con- 
ducted strictly  upon  psychological  principles. 
From  the  hour  the  eggs  (over  400)  are  placed  in 
the  incubator,  the  same  attendant  cares  for  them, 
turning  and  cooling  them;  and  as  he  handles  the 
eggs,  he  talks  to  them,  telling  them  the  germ  of 
life  is  there,  they  must  be  good  little  chicks,  and 
will  come  out  of  their  shells  in  so  many  days,  what- 
ever it  be.  Like  clock-work,  on  the  twenty-first 
day,  every  chick  peeps  forth  from  its  shell;  and 
here  is  the  point  that  bears  upon  our  study:  If 
the  attendant  be  changed  and  a  strange  voice  greet 
these  just-hatched  babies,  they  are  panic-stricken 
and  flee  about  wildly  for  refuge;  but  the  voice  that 
has  talked  to  them  through  the  shell  for  twenty- 


The  Auric  Envelope:     How  Affected     323 

one  days,  has  power  to  reassure  them  and  restore 
confidence.  Hearing  it,  every  baby-chick  turns 
toward  the  voice,  begins  to  "  cheep  "  happily,  and 
to  pick  up  food. 

The  hens  in  this  model  hennery  are  played  to 
—  violin  music  —  on  wet  and  gloomy  days  to 
keep  up  their  spirits;  and  the  record  of  egg-laying 
proves  that  it  is  an  effective  stimulant.  It  is  well- 
known  that  hens  are  greatly  frightened  by  disturb- 
ing noises,  the  barking  of  dogs,  thunder,  fire- 
works, and  other  explosives.  Is  not  want  of  care 
in  this  respect  a  fruitful  source  of  the  many  fail- 
ures in  chicken-raising? 

When  told  that  the  color  of  a  tone  affects  the 
nerves,  hold  in  mind  the  fact  that  color  and  sound 
are  the  visible  and  audible  effects  of  particular 
energies.  It  is  the  vibration  which  produces  the 
given  effect,  whether  it  be  our  eyes  or  our  ears 
which  receive  it  and  transmit  it  over  our  nerves; 
and  the  varied  effects  produced  upon  human  beings 
by  the  same  color  or  music  are  due  to  the  modifi- 
cations of  individual  idiosyncrasies, —  the  peculiar 
colors  active  within  and  hence  pulsating  through- 
out every  person's  aura.  Nature's  seal,  determin- 
ing the  key,  modifies  the  response  to  external  stim- 
ulants. 

While  the  ability  to  distinguish  the  varied  colors 
in  the  auras  of  our  fellows  is  still  an  exceptional 
gift,  it  is  at  the  option  of  all  to  test  the  power  of 


324     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

visible  color  to  affect,  favorably  or  unfavorably, 
the  whole  complex  human  being;  that  is,  to  act 
upon  him  physically  as  a  stimulant  or  sedative  of 
organic  functions;  and  to  affect  him  mentally  and 
spiritually  as  well. 

The  benefit  derived  from  surrounding  yourself 
with  a  certain  color  or  wearing  it  is,  that  the  ob- 
jective presence  of  the  color  aids  greatly  in  visu- 
alizing it  internally,  and  by  thinking  the  color  till 
it  is  vividly  present  to  your  mental  consciousness, 
you  connect  yourself  with  the  Tattvic  currents  of 
that  color  and  draw  them  to  you  to  furnish  the 
right  substance  for  subconscious  activity,  which 
you  by  this  means  consciously  direct.  Thus  you 
actively  accelerate  the  beneficent  work  of  the 
needed  Tattvas;  and  in  this  way,  rightly  applied, 
color  becomes  a  powerful  aid  in  mental  therapeu- 
tics. 

The  colors  most  commonly  seen  in  the  so-called 
Tattvic  aura  (really  a  misnomer,  because  all  is 
Tattvic)  are,  from  the  skin  outward,  luminous 
pearl-white,  blue,  violet,  yellow,  red ;  or  in  reversed 
order  from  the  luminous  band.  But  there  are 
many  variations,  as,  orange-yellow,  bright  line, 
blue,  orange-yellow,  and  red;  or  dark  line  (in- 
digo?), red,  yellow,  blue,  and  lavender-violet, 
and  these  changes  in  order  and  in  colors  are  of 
course  indicative  of  characteristic  activities.  With 
every  change  of  Tattvic  and  Prdnlc  currents  the 


The  Auric  Envelope:     How  Affected    3255 

intensity  of  the  colors  varies;  the  physical  condition 
of  vitality  or  fatigue  is  also  plainly  marked,  and 
this  whole  chromatic  band  pulsates  in  rhythm  with 
the  breathing;  broadening  with  expiration,  and  de- 
creasing with  inspiration.  I  think  myself,  though 
I  have  neither  seen  nor  heard  the  fact  conjectured, 
that  this  one  phenomenon  proves  the  "  Tattvic 
aura  "  to  be  the  psychic  breath  between  the  dense 
and  subtle  bodies  (the  Sthula-znd.  Sukshma-shar- 
iras). 

The  Tattvic  currents  split  at  the  pulse  and  run 
up  the  fingers  separately  in  the  regular  order, 
from  thumb  to  little  finger,  of  A kasha,  Fayu, 
Tejas,  Apas  and  PrithivL  The  air  (Fayu)] 
Tattva  dominates  the  whole  hand  as  the  index- 
finger  does  its  mates,  and  gives  to  it  its  remarkable 
tactile  delicacy,  its  suppleness  and  dexterity.  By 
examination  of  the  pulse-vibrations  and  the  finger 
auras,  the  Hindu  physican  discovers  which  Tattva 
is  disordered  and  diagnoses  the  consequent  disease 
accordingly.  His  index-finger  is  sensitive  to  any 
preponderance  of  "wind"  in  the  body;  his  mid- 
dle-finger (Tcjas),  to  an  excess  of  bile,  and  his 
ring-finger,  to  the  condition  of  the  phlegm. 

Musical  sounds  affect  the  Tattvic  aura,  intensi- 
fying not  so  much  the  existing  colors  as  their  lines 
of  conjunction, —  the  neutral  point  —  and  espe- 
cially, the  luminous  band  lying  next  the  skin,  which 
is  mainly  Akashic.  This  effect  is  not  emotional, 


326     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

but  indicates  the  inevitable  mechanical,  rhythmic 
connection  of  sound  vibrations.  I  believe  all  crash- 
ing, tumultuous,  warring  noise  causes  a  similar 
but  greater  disturbance,  and  that  the  irritating  ef- 
fect upon  the  nerves  begins  right  here,  the  shock 
tangling  the  vibrations  and  even  loosening  the  con- 
nection between  the  gross  and  subtle  bodies. 
Emotional  influences  from  music  are  much  more 
powerful  than  these  mere  rhythmic  disturbances 
in  the  color-changes  induced  throughout  the  aura. 
The  lower  auras,  Tattvic,  Etheric  double,  and 
Ramie,  extend  farther  out  in  the  order  named,  and 
follow  in  shape  all  the  outlines  of  the  dense  body. 
The  three  highest  auras  have  the  ovoid  outlines 
of  the  Auric  Envelope;  and  the  aura  of  Lower 
Manas  — "  intermediate  in  form  as  in  Nature  " — 
while  ovoid  follows  the  sinuosities  of  the  visible 
body,  especially  the  movements  of  the  head  and 
shoulders.  The  Etheric  double  has  its  own  Tatt- 
vic  aura  reflecting  faintly  the  colors  and  geomet- 
rical figures  of  that  playing  upon  the  surface  of 
the  dense  body.  Any  physical  disturbance  which 
is  immanent  can  be  seen  in  this  form-body,  which 
is  literally  a  shadow  of  the  future.  Thus,  a  lady, 
having  a  fair  complexion,  sat  for  her  photograph 
and  was  amazed  to  see  that  her  face  in  the  nega- 
tive was  covered  with  specks.  The  next  day  she 
fell  511  with  small-pox!  The  camera  had  caught 
the  Etheric-body. 


The  Auric  Envelope:     How  Affected    327 

It  is  in  the  Kamic  and  the  two  Manasic  auras 
that  color  plays  most  vividly  and  proclaims  un- 
mistakably the  man  within;  for  these  are  the  de- 
sire and  thought  vehicles  wherein  the  influences 
dominating  and  swaying  the  man  set  their  seal 
of  energy.  The  color  is  the  outward  indication 
of  the  force  either  used  within,  drawn  by  desire, 
or  generated  in  that  mightiest  engine  for  good  or 
ill  —  a  man's  brain! 

Dr.  Marques  says:  'Through  the  two  Ma- 
nasic auras  expert  observers  can  clearly  see  the 
fleeting  impressions  produced  by  the  general 
thought-currents  [universal  prevalent  opinions] ; 
impressions  which  vary  according  to  the  receptiv- 
ity of  man's  corresponding  Principle."  It  is  in 
the  Lower  Manasic  aura  that  the  psychic  reads 
the  past  events  in  the  life  of  the  subject,  for  the 
negatives  are  all  imprinted  here. 

I  think  it  is  a  mistake  to  speak  of  these  auras  as 
emanations  from  the  different  sheaths;  for  I  be- 
lieve they  are  the  sheaths  themselves,  all  together 
making  up  the  aura,  and  filling  the  Auric  Enve- 
lope. Thus  instead  of  many  auras,  we  have  sim- 
ply the  sheaths  of  the  Principles  composing  the 
septenary  man,  showing  in  the  aura  exactly  how 
they  interblend;  which  Principle  is  most  active, 
and  how  through  increasing  refinement  of  the  com- 
ponent elements,  the  sheaths  extend  farther  out, 
manifesting  the  same  increasing  subtlety  of  struo 


32S     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  BreatK 

ture  from  within  outward  that  we  see  in  the  physi- 
cal body  from  Prithivi,  in  the  bones,  to  Fdyu  in 
the  skin.  If  we  hold  this  picture  in  mind,  we 
have  an  exact  correspondence  in  form  and  activities 
between  man  within  his  Auric  Egg  and  the  minut- 
est atom.  The  earth,  from  its  core  to  its  outer 
atmosphere,  furnishes  a  like  correspondence. 

The  Kdmic  sheath  of  the  undeveloped  man  is  a 
cloudy  mass  of  dense  coarse  atoms,  "  fit  to  re- 
spond to  all  the  stimuli  connected  with  passions 
and  appetites."  Brickish-browns,  hot  inflaming 
reds,  and  murky  greens  are  the  predominant  hues, 
with  a  trace  of  dingy  yellow  about  the  head.  Mrs. 
Besant  says  (Ancient  Wisdom) :  "  There  is  no 
play  of  light  or  quickly  changing  flashes  of  colors 
through  this  astral  body;  but  the  various  passions 
show  themselves  as  heavy  surges,  or,  when  vio- 
lent as  flashes ;  thus  sexual  passion  will  send  a  wave 
of  muddy  crimson,  rage  a  flash  of  lurid  red. 
.  The  centers  of  the  organs  of  sense  are 
definitely  marked,  and  are  active  when  worked  on 
from  without,  but  in  quiescence  the  life-streams  are 
sluggish."  At  this  stage,  growth  must  come  from 
outward  stimuli,  and  often  suffering,  either  physi- 
cal or  mental,  is  needed  to  rouse  from  a  life  of 
stupid  inertia. 

All  good  and  unselfish  emotions  are  steps  in 
ethical  and  mental  progress  that  improve  this  sheath 
by  refining  its  constituent  particles.  Its  outlines 


The  Auric  Envelope:     How  Affected     329 

grow  clearer  and  finer;  characteristic  colors  be- 
gin to  assert  themselves  as  fixed  factors;  though 
changing,  ebbing  and  rippling,  under  the  impulse 
of  consciously  directed  thoughts  and  activities. 
Sudden  ecstasies  of  pure  exalted  affection  fill  the 
whole  Kamic  sheath  with  whirling  thought-forms 
of  purest,  luminous  crimson,  while  a  flush  of 
translucent  rose-color  veils  all  the  throbbing,  puls- 
ating hues  beneath. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

THE  AURIC  ENVELOPE  :      ITS  COLORS 

OF  all  the  colors  radiating  throughout  the 
aura,  red  and  green  have  the  most  widely 
varying  significations   according  to   their 
purity  or  degradation.     When  these  forces  are  un- 
controlled they  become  "  the  red  and  green  mon- 
sters within  us." 

Red  being  the  lowest  material  vesture  of  the 
involved  spirit  was  visible  in  the  skin  of  the  first 
of  the  seven  races  on  our  planet  (we  are  the  fifth) . 
Though  evolution  has  paled  the  ruddy  tint  from 
the  exterior,  it  remains  the  color  of  pure  flesh  and 
blood;  its  vibrations  furnish  the  heat  which 
maintains  the  normal  temperature  of  life;  and  it 
is  the  happy  sign  of  health  when  it  flushes  cheeks 
and  lips. 

Under  the  present  conditions  of  life  —  the  av- 
erage of  racial  development  —  exposure  to  sun- 
light is  believed  to  be  the  principal  factor  affecting 
the  complexion  of  people;  black,  brown,  olive,  and 
copper-hued  races  originating  in  tropic  zones;  and 
Occultists  do  not  consider  the  color  of  the  skin  any 
criterion  of  the  mental  or  spiritual  state  of  the  man 

330 


The  Auric  Envelope:     Its  Colors       331 

within.  Though  he  were  white-skinned,  the  aura 
of  a  very  vicious  man  will  be  a  brown-red,  or  a 
hot  black;  the  extreme  antithesis  of  the  dazzlingly 
luminous  one  surrounding  an  Adept,  which  "  shines 
with  a  sun-like  splendor  far  beyond  all  imagina- 
tion in  its  glorious  loveliness." 

The  Adept's  Causal  body  is  not  only  much 
larger  than  that  of  the  less  developed  but  its  col- 
ors are  differently  arranged.  Mr.  Leadbeater 
says,  "  These  no  longer  move  in  whirling  clouds, 
but  are  in  great  concentric  shells,  yet  penetrated 
everywhere  by  radiations  of  living  light  always 
pouring  forth  from  him  as  a  center.  The  order 
of  the  colors  differs  according  to  the  type  to  which! 
the  Adept  belongs,  so  that  there  are  several  well- 
marked  varieties  amid  their  glory." 

Throughout  the  Auric  Envelope  of  the  perfected 
man,  playing  upon  its  luminous  mist,  can  be  seen 
"  millions  of  tiny  living  geometrical  figures  of 
every  conceivable  shape,  throbbing  in  incessant 
pulsations;  and  in  the  center  of  it  can  be  distin- 
guished in  glowing  ethereal  colors  the  mysterious 
five-pointed  double  star,  characteristic  of  Adept- 
ship  "  (Human  Aura,  Marques).  These  geomet- 
rical figures,  circles,  crescents,  stars,  spheres,  and 
triangles,  are,  of  course,  the  Tattvic  vibrations, 
and  are  a  part  of  every  aura,  playing  through  every 
sheath;  but  are  not  so  distinct  in  the  aura  of  an 
ordinary  person,  becoming  more  and  more  visible 


332     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

as  intelligence  and  especially  spirituality  develop. 

All  the  gamut  from  the  basest  passion  of  su- 
premely gross  and  selfish  love  to  the  most  exalted 
affection  can  be  traced  in  red.  Absolutely  unsel- 
fish love  expresses  itself  in  a  lovely  rose-color,  and 
when  it  is  exceptionally  brilliant  and  tinged  with 
violet,  it  indicates  spiritual  love  of  humanity  and 
exalted  maternal  affection.  Pure  crimson  denotes 
less  elevated  love;  jealousy  tinges  it  with  brown, 
and  selfishness  mingles  clouds  of  dull  grayed  green 
which  sink  below,  while  pride  degrades  it  with 
orange.  All  heat  and  passion  flush  the  aura  with 
outbursts  of  red  from  the  brilliant  scarlet  of  right- 
eous indignation  to  the  lurid  flame-color  which 
cuts  acutest  triangular  flashes  through  black  hate- 
forms.  Dark,  dull  red  is  passionate  and  earthy 
when  not  malevolent.  After  outbursts  of  intense 
anger,  Mr.  Leadbeater  says,  "  Terrible  thought- 
forms  of  hate  may  be  seen  floating  like  coils  of 
heavy  poisonous  snakes  in  a  man's  aura." 

The  variety  of  green  in  the  visible  world  is  ex- 
actly typical  of  the  versatile  human  characteristics 
which  this  color  manifests.  Its  prevalence  in  the 
aura  indicates  strong  personality,  adaptability, 
and  too  often  selfishness.  But  these  traits  may  be 
high  or  low  according  to  the  shade  and  hue. 
Grayed  and  browned  hues  signify  that  shifting  in- 
decision which  is  all  things  to  all  men;  really  a 
selfish  cowardice  ever  seeking  its  own  ends,  hav- 


The  Auric  Envelope:     Its  Colors       '333 

ing  evolved  no  principles  beyond  desiring  the  ob- 
vious advantage  of  the  moment.  This  green 
abounds  in  the  auras  of  those  who  permit  others 
to  do  their  thinking  for  them.  Selfishness  varies 
from  brown-gray  to  bottle-green,  and  is,  alas  I  very 
common  in  the  desire  sheath. 

Green  is  preeminently  a  material  color,  and 
"  greenbacks  "  are  aptly  tinted  and  named,  for  the 
financial  currents  of  the  earth  are  deep,  bright 
grass  green.  Purely  material  phases  of  intellect- 
uality, the  brains  that  are  absorbed  in  things  ex- 
ternal, cram  with  book-knowledge  of  the  day,  with 
statistics  and  crude  facts,  send  forth  vibrations  of 
bright  green. 

Strong  self-consciousness,  the  sense  of  person- 
ality, is  vivid,  clear  green;  and  according  to  the 
striving  for  growth,  the  hope  and  aspiration  felt, 
may  shade  from  apple  to  emerald.  Where  soul- 
consciousness  and  individuality  —  as  distinct  from 
personality  —  develop,  the  green  changes  through 
peacock-blue  to  deep,  luminous  sapphire.  Higher 
mental  qualities  which  bring  distinction  in  the  arts 
and  are  nourished  from  springs  of  intuition  vibrate 
in  this  exquisite  azure. 

All  the  music  of  the  spheres  vibrates  in  the  in- 
digo-blue of  Akdsha,  in  which  are  all  colors  and 
out  of  which  they  flow.  With  respect  to  music 
and  other  arts,  Mme.  Blavatsky  says  they  are  the 
children  of  either  the  Higher  Manasic  or  Kama- 


334     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

Manasic  principle  proportionately  as  Soul  or  tech- 
nicality predominates.  Thus  there  will  be  more 
red  and  green  in  the  aura  of  the  technique  devotee 
than  blue.  She  further  says:  "  Metaphysics  are 
the  domain  of  the  Higher  Manas;  whereas  Phy- 
sics are  that  of  Kama-Manas,  which  does  the  think- 
ing in  Physical  Science  and  on  material  things. 
.  .  .  The  Mathematician  without  spiritual- 
ity, however  great  he  may  be,  will  not  reach  Me- 
taphysics; but  the  Metaphysician  will  master  the 
highest  conceptions  of  Mathematics,  and  will  ap- 
ply them,  without  learning  the  latter." 

Pure  deep  blue  indicates  devotion;  pale  sap- 
phire, spiritual  perception;  and  the  light  hues,  as 
turquoise,  cobalt,  and  robin's  egg,  exalted  ideals 
and  emotions.  Yet  blue,  too,  may  be  degraded. 
If  grayed  or  muddied,  the  religious  devotion  is 
mere  bigotry  or  selfish  fear.  Sudden  fright  casts 
a  ghastly  livid-gray  veil  over  all. 

It  is  almost  superfluous  to  remind  the  student  of 
the  lofty  character  of  yellow,  or  of  its  beneficial 
effects  when  prevalent  in  the  aura.  It  spreads  the 
joyous  contagion  of  its  own  vitality,  calming  and 
stimulating  at  one  and  the  same  time  as  effectually 
as  the  gloomy,  pernicious  gray  of  depression  ex- 
hausts and  disturbs.  So  if  you  would  benefit  your 
fellows,  see  to  it  first  of  all  that  you  radiate  health- 
giving  colors  from  your  aura,  which,  you  know, 
you  cannot  do  unless  you  encourage  the  thoughts 


The  Auric  Envelope:     Its  Colors      335 

that  create  them.  Not  until  the  Causal  body  is 
developed  sufficiently  to  control  Lower  Manas  and 
Kama,  does  this  beneficent  and  forceful  current 
find  a  favorable  medium  through  which  to  act. 
The  prevalence  of  clear,  deep  yellow  and  good 
pure  green  in  the  aura  indicate  a  happy,  generous, 
sympathetic,  and  hopeful  character  evolving  to 
higher  states. 

Yellow  manifests  the  highest  and  noblest  in- 
tellectual effort,  true  wisdom  and  aspiration,  freed 
from  objective,  material  striving;  and  therefore 
represents  the  highest  power  and  loftiest  aspect  of 
spirituality  which  our  race  is  capable  of  grasping 
and  understanding.  The  positive  power  of  this 
Principle  is  proved  by  its  dominance  over  all  other 
colors  with  which  it  is  blended.  Pride  vibrates  as 
orange,  but  in  the  degree  that  the  red  is  shaken 
out  of  it,  is  it  raised  to  pure  aspiration.  Because 
of  its  penetrating  power,  yellow  is  the  color  most 
easily  perceived  by  normal  sight;  and  it  has  been 
visible  as  a  veritable  halo  round  the  heads  of  speak- 
ers engaged  in  some  supreme  effort  of  enthusiasm 
I  which  freed  the  soul  to  its  fullest  expression.  In 
such  cases  the  vigor  of  the  astral  vibrations  rouses 
"  a  sympathetic  vibration  even  in  the  coarse  and 
heavy  matter  of  the  physical  plane."  Exalted 
spiritual  vibrations  cause  a  violet  cloud  to  rise 
from  the  crown  of  the  head  in  the  midst  of  sur- 
rounding yellow  of  a  luminous  tint,  and  the  violet 


33 6     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

sparkles  through  and  through  with  golden  specks. 

It  is  in  the  aura  of  the  pineal  gland  that  per- 
ception is  located.  "  This  aura  answers  in  vibra- 
tions to  any  impressions,  but  it  can  only  be  sensed, 
not  perceived,  in  the  living  man.  During  the  pro- 
cess of  thought  manifesting  in  consciousness,  a 
constant  vibration  occurs  in  the  light  of  this  aura, 
and  a  clairvoyant  looking  at  the  brain  of  a  living 
man  may  almost  count,  see  with  the  spiritual  eye, 
the  seven  scales,  the  seven  shades  of  light,  pass- 
ing from  the  dullest  to  the  brightest.  You  touch 
your  hand;  before  you  touch  it  the  vibration  is  al- 
ready in  the  aura  of  the  pineal  gland,  and  has  its 
own  shade  of  color.  It  is  this  aura  which  causes 
the  wear  and  tear  of  the  organ  by  the  vibrations 
it  sets  up.  .  .  . 

'  There  are  seven  cavities  in  the  brain  which 
are  quite  empty  during  life.  .  .  .  These 
centers  are,  in  Occultism,  called  the  seven  harmon- 
ies, the  scale  of  the  divine  harmonies.  They  are 
filled  with  Akdsha,  each  with  its  own  color,  accord- 
ing to  the  state  of  consciousness  in  which  you  are. 
The  fourth  is  the  pituitary  body;  the  fifth  is  the 
third  ventricle ;  the  sixth  is  the  pineal  gland,  which 
is  hollow  and  empty  during  life;  and  the  seventh 
is  the  whole.  When  Manas  is  united  to  Atma- 
'Buddhi,  or  when  Atma-Buddhi  is  centered  in 
Manas,  it  acts  in  the  three  higher  cavities,  radiat- 
ing, sending  forth  a  halo  of  light,  and  this  is  visi- 


The  Auric  Envelope:     Its  Colors       337 

ble  in  the  case  of  a  very  holy  person  "  (Secret 
Doctrine,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  577  and  583). 

The  front  brain  has  a  higher  grade  of  colors 
than  the  back  brain.  The  countless  magnetic  and 
electric  curves  which  radiate  from  the  head  and 
surround  it  with  a  play  of  exquisite  colors  corres- 
pond vividly  with  the  "  Thousand-petalled  Lotus  " 
of  the  Yogi.  The  colors  thus  seen  by  psychic  vis- 
ion to  emanate  from  different  parts  of  the  brain 
corroborate  all  that  phrenology  claims  as  to  spe- 
cial seats  of  "  faculties,"  or  emotions  and  activi- 
ties, and  all  that  Occultists  teach;  and  this  state- 
ment holds  also  with  regard  to  the  whole  body. 

The  heart  is  the  center  of  spiritual  conscious- 
ness as  is  the  brain  of  intellectual;  and  all  the  play 
of  light  in  the  aura  of  the  pineal  gland  is  reflected 
in  the  heart's  aura,  "  which  vibrates  and  illumines 
the  seven  brains  of  the  heart,  just  as  does  the  aura 
round  the  pineal  gland."  Corroboratory  of  these 
statements  is  that  of  Dr.  Babbitt  that  "  The  brain 
has  been  seen  to  have  five  great  leading  poles,  or 
centers  of  luminous  radiation,  the  greater  of  which 
is  in  the  center,  besides  which  it  has  minor  poles 
in  all  the  organs  which  connect  with  the  center 
pole."  Clairvoyants  can  see  explosive  flashes  of 
light  from  all  nerve  ganglia,  and  wanting  Occult 
training  might  fail  to  distinguish  the  septenary. 

Although  the  colors  of  all  these  auras  are  as 
constantly  shifting  and  changing  as  the  waters  in 


338     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

the  seething  whirlpool  at  Niagara,  the  particles 
pulsating  with  inconceivable  velocity,  yet  yellow, 
rose,  blue,  and  violet  if  present,  are  always  found 
in  the  upper  part  of  the  aura  about  the  head  and 
shoulders ;  while  red,  from  pure  crimson  to  its  hot, 
lurid  hues,  radiates  midway,  from  shoulders  to 
thighs;  and  the  debased  colors  of  debasing  quali- 
ties are  below.  The  purer  the  color  the  higher; 
thus  most  greens  and  deep  orange  are  about  the 
feet  and  lower  limbs;  but  the  pure  green  of  ver- 
satility and  sympathy  is  seen  above  the  shoulders. 

The  all-penetrating,  all-permeating  force,  bind- 
ing all  together,  the  aural  light,  is  the  manifesta- 
tion of  the  Spirit  within,  which  forms  the  "  Enve- 
lope "  or  "  Egg,"  and  appears  as  a  faintly  lumin- 
ous silver-blue-violet  shadow,  irradiated  with  the 
hue  which  gives  the  key  to  the  individual.  The 
more  highly  developed  the  person,  the  more  dis- 
tinct is  this  hue,  the  unmistakable  mark  of  the  rul- 
ing Hierarchy,  and  the  evidence  of  the  presence 
of  the  Special  Ray  connecting  every  individual 
soul  with  its  Hierarchy. 

Even  a  slight  understanding  of  the  nature  of  the 
influences  with  which  men  people  the  contiguous 
astral  realm,  influences  which  are  constantly  af- 
fecting man  for  good  or  ill,  according  to  the 
nature  of  the  thoughts  and  desires  which  he  per- 
mits to  dwell  in  his  consciousness,  would  inevitably 
increase  the  sense  of  responsibility  as  to  the  purity 


The  Auric  Envelope:     Its  Colors       339 

and  elevation  of  his  habitual  thoughts  and  aims. 

Ignoble  thoughts,  selfish,  jealous,  or  passionate 
thoughts,  or  the  stings  of  deadly  hatred,  enter 
only  the  centers  where  like  thoughts  hold  sway. 
So  he  who  indulges  such  polluting,  discordant 
thoughts  draws  added  incentive  to  his  own  evil 
thinking,  while  heaping  on  fuel  to  that  of  his  fel- 
lows. It  is  through  the  medium  of  astral  matter 
that  all  our  thoughts  vibrate.  They  take  form 
there  instantly  and  change  with  the  utmost  rapid- 
ity, seeking  always  their  affinity  or  pursuing  the 
direction  in  which  they  are  consciously  sent. 
Every  unselfish  emotion  purifies  all  the  vibrations 
as  pure  air  clears  a  smoky  atmosphere.  Loving 
thoughts  help  all  the  region  through  which  they 
pass. 

You  see  there  are  thought-forms  just  as  there 
are  tone-  and  voice-forms.  Mrs.  Besant  puts  this 
very  strongly,  and  says  thoughts  may  be  angels 
or  devils,  and  man  is  held  responsible  [not  by  a 
vengeful  God  but  by  Law]  for  their  creation. 
And  she  gives  this  comforting  thought:  "  Many 
a  mother's  loving  prayers  go  to  hover  round  her 
son  as  angel-forms,  turning  aside  from  him  evil  in- 
fluences that  perchance  his  own  thoughts  are  at- 
tracting "  (Ancient  Wisdom,  pp.  77-81). 

Not  only  does  all  our  real  and  lasting  happiness 
here  depend  upon  the  use  we  make  of  our  thought- 
power;  but  exactly  in  the  proportion  that  we  de- 


340     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  BreatK 

velop  and  gain  control  of  the  "  mind-stuff "  will 
be  the  perfection  of  that  Heaven  we  all  hope  to 
attain  after  this  earth-life.  For  Devachan,  the 
heaven-plane,  or  world,  is  in  substance  mind-stuff, 
and  it  yields  to  us  exactly  what  we  have  power  to 
mould,  to  think  into  a  reality;  because  every  men- 
tal act  takes  immediate  form  there.  Hence 
Heaven  is  as  beautiful  and  perfect  as  we  have  the 
ability  to  make  it. 

The  outflow  of  spiritual  or  psychic  energy  from 
the  auras  of  those  who  through  ceaseless  aspira- 
tion are  advancing  rapidly  on  the  Path  is  of  mar- 
vellous potency.  There  is  scarce  a  limit  to  be 
placed  upon  the  beneficence  of  such  characters,  of 
the  effect  of  their  work  and  influence;  their  mere 
presence  is  felt  as  an  inspiration,  as  a  healing  bless- 
ing. Aspiration  is  the  exercise  of  the  Soul, 
through  which  it  grows  to  heights  invisible.  Who 
can  doubt  that  the  present  awakening  of  the  pub- 
lic conscience,  the  great  moral  wave  sweeping  round 
the  world,  is  due  to  the  pure  vibrations  emanating 
from  the  ever-increasing  army  of  those  who  have 
come  under  the  great  Light  through  the  wide- 
spread teaching  of  the  Power  of  Thought  to  man- 
ipulate Life's  Forces?  It  is  the  real  "Life 
Science,"  explaining  God's  purpose  and  his  Laws.. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

HOW  TO  ACQUIRE  RHYTHMIC   BREATHING 

THE  whole  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 
is  now  unfolded  to  you ;  you  know  its  im- 
portance; you  know  that  the  vibrations 
surrounding  every  human  being  (as  also  all  thing 
things  from  plants  upward)  are  exactly  sympto- 
matic of  internal  conditions,  being  outward  mani- 
festations of  those  conditions;  and  you  must  real- 
ize the  importance  of  the  character  and  purity  of 
the  invisible  color-forces  which  compose  the  hu- 
man aura.  Therefore,  there  remains  but  to  con- 
sider some  details  of  the  constant  effect  of  the  Law. 
If  we  would  hold  ourselves  receptive  to  the  finer, 
purer  Tattvic  currents  flowing  about  us,  it  is  im- 
perative that  the  irregular  fleeting  waves  of  color 
which  commonly  sweep  rapidly  as  before  gusts  of 
wind  through  the  aura,  be  reduced  to  regular  rhyth- 
mic vibrations,  otherwise  they  present  a  repellant 
wall.  Given  an  earnest  desire  to  improve,  with 
control  of  those  emotions  generally  recognized  as 
evil,  nothing  else  so  degrades  and  lowers  the  col- 
ors as  the  all-too-common  habit  of  depression; 
nothing  else  so  purifies  and  refines  them,  and  en- 

341 


342     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

larges  the  aura,  as  the  regular  habit  of  deep,  rhyth- 
mic breathing. 

We  must  give  a  glance  at  some  of  the  reasons 
for  our  having  to  learn  carefully  and  slowly,  what 
should  be  perfectly  natural  to  every  human  being. 
The  first  function  of  life  which  is  aborted  and  per- 
verted is  that  of  correct  breathing,  and  no  other 
function  is  so  little  understood  or  so  ignored  and 
abused.  It  is  this  perversion  and  abuse  that  sow 
the  first  seeds  of  weakness  and  disorder  in  the 
human  frame,  because  preventing  any  possibility 
of  the  harmonically  balanced  rhythmic  flow  of 
vital-force. 

The  babe,  before  he  has  submitted  to  discipline's 
unnatural  methods  of  development,  breathes 
deeply,  moving  his  abdomen  more  than  his  chest; 
because  the  diaphragm  is  superintending  the  normal 
function,  and,  when  lowered,  thrusts  the  viscera 
downward  which  distends  the  elastic  muscles  of  the 
abdominal  walls,  and  leaves  the  thorax  above  much 
enlarged  for  the  full  expansion  of  the  lungs. 
Only  thus  can  the  lower  lung-cells  be  filled  or  have 
their  stagnant  residue  of  air  changed  and  renewed. 
Everything  stagnant  is  impure  and  invites  germs 
of  disease.  < 

The  moment  discipline  treats  the  child  as  some- 
thing that  must  be  bent  to  civilization's  standards 
instead  of  growing  up  naturally  like  a  flower,  con- 
straint and  fear  begin  their  deadly  work  of  tension 


How  to  Acquire  Rhythmic  Breathing     343) 

and  cramping,  and  nerves  and  muscles  respond  in- 
stantly to  the  iniquitous  maldirection.  Discord 
has  set  in  and  there  is  no  more  normal  freedom. 
Fear  clamps  the  lungs  in  a  vice  more  harmful  even 
than  the  external  strictures  of  senseless  clothing. 

The  long-suffering  body,  restored  to  its  rights, 
and  relegated  to  its  true  position  in  the  septenary 
chain  of  human  principles,  becomes  a  totally  dif- 
ferent thing  from  the  incubus  which  generations 
of  men  have  dragged  through  life  in  the  belief  that 
ills  of  the  flesh  were  the  natural  and  unavoidable 
evils  of  living.  Only  the  gross  ignorance  of  the 
primest  necessities  of  healthful  living  has  created 
and  fostered  most  of  these  ills, —  an  ignorance 
which  in  spite  of  a  decade  and  a  half  of  the  most 
active  propaganda  to  spread  the  cult  of  health  and 
prevention  of  disease  through  healthful  living,  still 
blinds  the  majority  of  mankind;  and  to  the  neg- 
lect of  no  one  prime  need  is  so  much  suffering  due 
as  to  deprivation  of  fresh  pure  air!  The  purer  the 
air  the  purer  are  the  Tattvic  vibrations  and  the 
higher  their  potencies. 

As  life  exists  only  from  breath  to  breath,  he  who 
but  half-breaths  only  half-lives;  and  reduces  his 
tenure  upon  life  to  but  a  slender  thread.  The  vi- 
tal forces  which  are  the  source  of  all  life  and  which 
maintain  and  renew  it,  enter  our  bodies  with  every 
breath;  are  rhythmic  in  the  degree  of  its  regular- 
ity, and  their  harmony  and  normal  balance  depend 


#44     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

frst  upon  the  freshness  and  purity  of  the  air  in* 
haled.  Every  exhalation  expels  from  the  body 
noxious  principles,  wastes  generated  in  the  physi- 
ological chemistry  of  combustion  processes,  which 
are  virulent  poisons  to  all  living  creatures.  Do- 
mestic animals  and  pet  birds  are  even  more  sus- 
ceptible to  their  deadly  influence  than  is  man  him- 
self, in  whom  unfortunately,  the  effects  are  slower 
and  more  subtle;  else  would  mankind  have  awak- 
ened long  ago  to  the  loathsomeness  of  re-breathing 
these  foul  exhalations. 

The  cult  of  deep-breathing  broke  the  first  link 
in  these  self-forged  shackles  that  mankind  has 
dragged  for  so  many  weary  centuries.  But,  un- 
happily, the  cult  was  no  sooner  launched  than  it 
was  split  by  theorists  into  many  "  schools  "  ;  and 
according  to  the  teacher  the  student  was  drilled 
in  diaphragmatic,  intercostal,  or  clavicular  breath- 
ing; systems  which  divide  the  thorax  into  lower, 
middle,  and  upper  registers  respectively,  and  in- 
hibit more  than  slight,  imperfect  movements  of 
air  through  the  practically  unemployed  cells  of 
the  lungs.  It  seems  never  to  have  occurred  to 
I  these  experimenters  to  ask  (much  less  could  they 
answer  the  query!)  why  so  much  space  was  taken 
up  in  the  chest  by  masses  of  spongy  substance  that 
was  of  no  use  in  the  human  economy,  yet  was  so 
alarmingly  susceptible  to  painful  disorders! 

It  was  never  intended  that  only  a  part  of  the 


How  to  Acquire  Rhythmic  Breathing     345 

lungs  should  be  used,  but  men  and  women  have 
each  adopted  their  special  method  of  defeating 
Nature;  the  former,  from  neglect  of  clavicular 
(upper  chest)  breathing,  furnishing  the  more  vic- 
tims of  tuberculosis;  and  the  latter,  from  their 
constriction  of  the  waist-line,  inhibiting  all  the 
lower  muscles  from  activity,  thus  often  causing 
atrophy  of  the  lower  lobes  of  the  lungs,  and  ren- 
dering practically  immovable  the  vital  organs  just 
beneath  the  diaphragm;  which  encourages  a  long 
train  of  suffering.  Semi-invalidism  and  early  de- 
cay are  inevitable  under  such  conditions.  Yet  a 
New  York  authority  upon  voice-culture  says  that 
with  correct  deep-breathing,  "  no  voice  need  lose 
its  beauty  till  one,  two,  or  even  three,  decades 
after  the  fortieth  birthday  is  passed." 

Now,  deep,  rhythmic  breathing  uses  no  one  of 
these  restricted  "  registers,"  but  does  employ  all 
three  in  one.  Habitual  inhalations  should  be  pro- 
longed till  every  respiratory  muscle  has  been  called 
into  action  and  every  lung  cell  is  distended.  This 
cannot  be  accomplished  without  a  perfectly  free 
and  strong  elastic  diaphragm.  It  is  profoundly 
important  that  one  learn  not  only  how  to  make  it  so 
—  faithful  practice  will  do  it  —  but  also  its  exact 
office  in  this  life  function. 

The  diaphragm  is  nearly  the  shape  of  an  in- 
verted basin, —  an  irregular  arch  or  crescent  in 
every  dimension.  Acting  like  a  bellows,  when 


340     The  taw  of  the  Rhythmic  BreatK 

thrust  out  and  downward,  it  expands  the  thorax, 
creating  a  vacuum  into  which  the  air  is  drawn,  and 
it  presses  downward  and  outward  all  that  is  be- 
neath it.  Normal,  deep  breathing,  which  is  rhyth- 
mic and  harmonious,  is  thus  an  internal  massage  of 
all  the  vital  organs.  Every  breath  moves  them 
gently  in  position,  and  consequently  increases  the 
circulation  of  the  blood,  and  stimulates  their  secre- 
tions and  excretions.  The  movements  in  both  di- 
rections are  partly  contraction  and  partly  expan- 
sion. 

If  you  are  not  certain  that  your  habitual  breath- 
ing thus  lowers  and  raises  the  diaphragm  so  the 
whole  lungs  are  alternately  filled  and  emptied, 
practice  deep  breathing  while  lying  prone  upon 
your  back  upon  an  unyielding  surface.  You  will 
thus  both  see  and  feel  the  downward  and  outward 
stretching  movement  of  the  diaphragm  as  it  flat- 
tens out  when  you  inhale;  for  the  abdomen  is  dis- 
tended by  the  lowering  of  the  viscera ;  and  you  will 
distinctly  feel  the  pressure  upon  the  small  of  the 
back  where  the  diaphragm  is  connected  with  the 
spine  just  below  the  lowest  rib.  Its  great  anchor- 
ing muscles,  there  contracting,  pull  it  down  forci- 
bly. This  part  should  be  distended  as  much  as 
the  abdomen,  but  at  the  beginning  of  practice  is 
apt  to  be  found  inactive. 

It  is  in  the  filling  of  these  lower  lung-cells  that 
the  favorable  Tattvas,  Prithivi  and  Apas,  put  in 


How  to  Acquire  Rhythmic  Breathing     347 

their  finest  work  of  upbuilding  and  renewing. 
With  every  inhalation  the  abdomen  should  rise 
gently,  falling  with  the  exhalation,  when  the  dia- 
phragm is  arched  upward  pressing  upon  and  emp- 
tying the  lower  lung-cells. 

When  you  have  mastered  the  method,  resume 
a  sitting  or  standing  posture  for  practice.  In  ha- 
bitual breathing,  the  exhalations  should  be  in 
rhythm  with  the  inhalations,  counting  from  six  to 
eight  during  a  movement  according  to  lung-power, 
which  will  increase  amazingly  as  the  chest-walls 
and  all  muscles  gain  elasticity  through  regular 
practice. 

The  pulse  —  heart-beat  —  should  be  the  unit  of 
count,  for  the  two  functions  are  most  closely  asso- 
ciated. Thus:  inhale  during  six  pulse-throbs; 
hold  breath  during  three;  exhale  during  six  counts; 
hold  lungs  empty  during  three  counts.  Repeat  a 
dozen  times  or  more;  lengthen  the  breath  as 
power  is  gained;  and  practice  according  to  con- 
venience several  times  a  day.  In  normal,  rhyth- 
mic breathing,  the  solar  current  flows  in  and  out 
through  the  right  nostril,  and  the  lunar  current 
through  the  left.  When  it  is  desired  to  make 
one  or  the  other  current  flow,  close  the  nostril  or 
press  the  fifth  rib  on  the  side  you  wish  to  make 
inactive,  and  inhale  and  exhale  through  the  other 
nostril.  Inhale  slowly  and  always  through  the 
nostrils,  in  which  passages  there  is  provision  to 


348     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  BreatK 

arrest  impurities  which,  if  carried  to  the  lungs, 
would  irritate  their  delicate  structure.  Contag- 
ious diseases  can  be  contracted  by  the  unlovely  as 
well  as  unclean  habit  of  mouth-breathing. 

Do  nothing  automatically.  In  all  your  prac- 
tice, make  your  thoughts  follow  and  direct  the  vi- 
tal currents.  For  example:  Think  as  well  as 
feel  the  pressure  and  distention  in  the  small  of 
the  back.  You  will  thus  greatly  facilitate  the 
forming  of  the  habit  of  doing  involuntarily  what 
you  must  now  practice.  Moreover,  indulgence  in 
automatisms  is  dangerously  apt  to  encourage  ab- 
sent-mindedness, a  fault  which  leads  to  grave  mis- 
takes, the  results  of  which  are  seldom  confined  to 
the  immediate  offenders.  All  the  accidents  due 
to  the  "  Didn't-think  "  folk  can  be  traced  to  the 
encouragement  of  automatisms. 

The  habit  should  be  acquired  of  holding  the 
breath  perceptibly  before  the  exhalation,  for  only 
thus  do  we  take  from  the  inhaled  air  all  its  vital 
elements.  It  is  possible  through  faithful  practice 
to  wont  ourselves  to  deep,  rhythmic  breathing  as 
the  rule;  and  with  the  help  of  the  corrective  exer- 
cises —  Alternate  Breathing  and  Held  Breath  — 
to  develop  a  dynamic  energy  which  we  can  divert 
at  need  to  any  organ  or  nerve  of  the  body  and 
hold  there  long  enough  to  stimulate  a  revitalizing 
process. 

When  we  gain  control  of  Prana  —  for  which 


How  to  Acquire  Rhythmic  Breathing      349 

purpose  the  Held-Breath  exercises  are  practiced  — 
we  are  able  to  feel  its  subtle  activity  all  over  the 
body,  and  can  concentrate  it  wherever  an  exhausted 
nerve  needs  renewing  energy.  It  is  only  in  these 
corrective  exercises,  or  when  the  need  is  felt  to 
change  the  currents,  that  the  nostrils  are  closed  and 
the  breath  arbitrarily  directed  to  left  or  right. 
When  the  balance  of  the  alternating  current  is 
restored,  we  leave  Nature  to  take  care  of  their 
regular  alternation. 

Human  beings  are  electric  batteries;  and  when 
either  current  of  vital  force  —  the  negative  or  pos- 
itive —  flows  too  long,  the  vehicle  of  life  becomes 
the  engine  of  destruction.  That  is  all;  it  is  just 
a  simple  problem  of  electro-chemical  action;  and 
the  Tattvic  Law  is  the  only  thing  that  explains 
the  mystery  by  which  human  life  hangs  on  so 
slight  a  thread,  and  indicates  to  you  the  remedy 
for  time  of  need.  The  knowledge  thus  put  in 
your  hands  is  a  treasure  beyond  price. 

In  all  practice,  the  promptness  of  the  body's  re- 
sponse to  the  revivifying  influence  will  be  exactly 
according  to  the  clearness  with  which  you  realize 
the  thought  and  the  fixity  with  which  you  can  hold 
it.  Directed  consciously  with  your  soul-force  vi- 
talizing your  mental  vibrations,  the  current  of 
Prana  increases  in  strength  and  electrical  power, 
so  that  all  the  atoms  are  drawn  into  synchronous 
action,  which  means  enormously  increased  power 
and  activity. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

ITHE  PRACTICAL  APPLICATION  OF  THESE  LAWS 

THE  first  application  of  the  Tattvic  Law 
is  to  realize  that  you  are  yourself  respon- 
sible for  the  character  of  the  forces  active 
within.  There  is  not  an  act  of  life  nor  a  thought 
to  which  the  Law  does  not  apply;  it  expresses  it- 
self in  the  form  of  like  vibrations  everywhere  and 
in  everything.  The  forces  of  the  Universe  are 
playing  upon  and  around  you,  and  what  you  think 
and  feel  determines  what  sort  shall  find  affinity 
within.  But  knowledge  alone  of  the  Law  does 
not  enable  us  to  apply  it, —  does  not  give  us  the 
power  to  use  the  master  key.  That  is  gained  only 
by  steadfast  determination  and  faithful  practice  of 
all  means  to  the  end.  If  one  thing  has  been  em- 
phasized more  than  another  in  these  lessons  upon 
the  Evolution  of  the  Self  through  Health  to  Free- 
dom and  Power,  it  is  the  need  of  harmony  from 
the  foundation  upward. 

The  perfect  life  —  which  can  be  made  the  com- 
mon life  not  the  exceptional  one  —  permitting  the 
unfolding  of  undreamed  of  powers  of  mind  and 
soul,  requires  for  its  foundation  a  strong  body 

350 


Practical  Application  of  These  Laws      351 

whose  equilibrium  is  maintained  by  the  rhythmic 
functioning  of  all  its  complex  organs,  under  the 
control  of  a  sane,  wholesome  mind.  Rid  your- 
self right  here  and  now  of  any  belief  you  may  have 
in  the  body  itself  being  sinful.  "  Matter  is  not 
in  itself  evil.  On  the  contrary,  it  comes  forth 
from  God,  and  consists  of  that  whereof  God's 
Self  consists,  Spirit.  It  is  Spirit  by  the  force  of 
the  Divine  will  subjected  to  conditions  and  limita- 
tions, and  made  externally  cognizable  "  (Perfect 
Way,  p.  41)- 

The  whole  end  and  aim  of  humanity's  trials 
and  experiences  is  to  educate  souls  to  overcome, 
to  gain  the  Will-power  "  to  escape  the  limitations 
of  matter  and  return  to  the  condition  of  pure 
Spirit."  Remember  the  distinction  I  pointed  out 
to  you  between  the  will  at  the  beck  and  call  of 
desire,  and  a  Will  which  is  the  handmaid  of  Soul- 
consciousness  and  holds  every  thought  under  con- 
trol. In  the  latter  case  only  is  the  Will  strong 
and  really  free. 

To  ignore  the  body  and  affirm  that  "  mind  is 
all,"  is  both  unscientific  and  a  grave  mistake;  for 
while  mind  is  ensheathed  in  the  body  all  the  ve- 
hicles through  which  consciousness  manifests  are 
efficient  in  proportion  as  their  activities  work  to- 
gether in  rhythmic  harmony  for  the  good  of  all. 
Each  must  sound  its  own  perfect  note,  just  as  the 
various  organs  of  the  body  should;  all  together 


35.2     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

forming  a  harmonious  chord.  Only  perfect 
health,  with  subordination  of  every  organ  to  its 
legitimate  function  —  as  well-trained  soldiers 
work  together  —  permits  the  freedom  and  enjoy- 
ment of  this  condition. 

"  The  aim  of  all  endeavor,"  says  Anna  Kings- 
ford,  "  should  be  to  bring  the  body  into  subjec- 
tion to,  and  harmony  with  the  Spirit,  by  refining 
and  subliming  it;  and  so  heightening  its  powers 
as  to  make  it  sensitive  and  responsive  to  all  the 
motior."  of  the  Spirit."  The  Law  of  the  Rhyth- 
mic Breath  is  the  only  explanation  of  Kosmic 
Forces  which  teaches  how  to  "  sublime  "  the  body, 
and  "  make  it  sensitive  and  responsive  "  to  the 
Spirit.  A  sound  mind  in  a  perfectly  controlled 
body  is  indispensable  for  progress  in  the  refinement 
and  development  of  all  the  sheaths  which  leads  to 
consciousness  on  all  planes  and  to  soul-knowledge. 

As  Annie  Besant  says :  "  All  that  is  needed  to 
be  in  Heaven  [now]  is  to  become  conscious  of 
those  vibrations  "  ;  —  that  is,  vibrations  of  soul- 
consciousness,  higher  states  latent  in  all ;  but  which 
require  for  their  forth-coming  conditions  of  peace, 
confidence,  serenity,  and  poise.  These  are  im- 
possible in  a  pain-racked  body,  or  in  one  heavy 
with  the  impurities  of  gross  living  and  discordant 
thinking. 

When  the  Spirit  is  deeply  involved  in  matter 
[(lower  vibrations),  inertia  is  manifested.  We 


Practical  Application  of  These  Laws      353 

speak  of  being  "  heavy-hearted,"  "  depressed  in 
spirits,"  "  sleepy,"  yet  prolonged  sleep  brings  no 
rest ;  under  such  influences,  we  are  literally  weighted 
down  by  the  gross,  heavy  states  of  the  physical 
atoms.  As  the  Spirit,  through  the  purification  of 
matter,  evolves  out  of  it,  the  vibrations  increase 
in  refinement;  and  lightness,  exhilaration,  and  elas- 
ticity are  increasingly  apparent.  In  such  states  we 
bring  enthusiasm  to  bear  upon  all  that  we  do,  and 
every  activity  is  a  joy;  work  ceases  to  be  labor. 
We  have  connected  ourselves  with  higher  and 
purer  sources  of  energy. 

Epictetus  reminds  us :  "  Men  are  distracted 
not  by  the  things  which  happen  but  by  their  opin- 
ions about  things."  To  consistently  apply  the 
Tattvic  Law  and  reap  the  advantage  from  the 
knowledge  of  it  which  is  possible  for  every  earn- 
est and  determined  soul,  there  is  in  most  cases  an 
imperative  need  to  change  the  whole  tenor  of  cus- 
tomary thought, —  often,  indeed,  the  order  of  the 
life;  to  purify  the  mind  and  body  through  whole- 
some thinking  and  living,  with  faith,  charity,  love, 
and  truth,  and  effacement  of  all  petty  self-interests 
as  the  basis  of  daily  activities. 

The  cheerfulness  and  joy  resulting  promote  a 
state  of  harmony,  for  happiness,  confidence,  and 
courage  are  upbuilding  forces;  fear,  anxiety,  petty 
animosities,  intolerance,  resentment,  and  cowardice 
are  ^integrating  and  discordant,  because  they  dis- 


354     The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

turb  the  balance  of  the  Tattvas,  and  greatly  in- 
crease the  preponderance  of  those  which  in  excess 
are  disastrous.  The  physical  and  mental  peril  of 
indulgence  in  these  latter  emotions  and  thoughts, 
is  not  half-understood;  but  here,  again,  the  Tatt- 
iiic  Law  clearly  explains  cause  and  effect,  warns  of 
the  danger,  and  places  responsibility.  We  must 
learn  to  direct  our  activities  and  govern  our  lives 
systematically,  refusing  longer  to  be  the  playthings 
of  chance.  We  must  think  clearly  and  plan  our 
days  so  they  shall  be  filled  with  the  things  worth 
the  doing. 

As  a  primary  condition  of  peace,  happiness,  and 
health,  you  must  rule  your  own  forces.  If  you 
would  attract  harmonious  conditions,  your  own 
mood  must  be  harmonious  and  confident.  When 
we  recognize  that^we  live  in  a  world  of  forces  of 
which  we  are  a  part,  and  that  the  soul-governed- 
and-directed  will  can  control  these  forces,  we  real- 
ize our  responsibility  for  the  proper  exercise  of 
that  control,  through  the  right  use  and  direction  of 
the  Power  of  Thought. 

It  seems  the  most  stupendous  blindness  that  men 
have  gone  on  for  centuries  delving  into  this  world 
of  Effects  —  the  earth  and  the  life  thereon  — 
and  persistently  denied  that  the  world  of  Cause 
could  be  anything  outside  of  the  unit  under  exam- 
ination,—  that  they  could  dream  of  accurate  re- 
sults in  studying  one  Unit  of  the  macrocosm  as 


Practical  Application  of  These  Laws      355 

an  isolated  world  of  Effect  revolving  upon  itself. 

Only  the  all-compelling  Sun  has  forced  man  to 
recognize  something  of  its  influence;  but  so  little 
does  he  comprehend  it  that  he  hesitates  not  to  bar 
out  its  beneficent  rays  entirely  from  his  dwelling, 
nor  to  build  great  factories  and  office-hives  where 
thousands  of  helpless  human  workers  are  immured, 
delving  by  artificial  light  throughout  the  Long 
Day!  Oh,  the  pity  of  it! 

Since  you  know  that  the  nature  of  certain 
thoughts  must  inevitably  produce  unfavorable  vi- 
brations, is  it  not  as  rank  injustice  to  yourself  and 
those  affected  by  your  mental  or  physical  condi- 
tion to  indulge  in  them  as  it  would  be  to  take 
poison?  As  all  vibrations  can  be  controlled  by 
thought,  you  must  think  the  vibrations  which  you 
desire  to  be  most  active  in  your  body.  Not  denial 
of  pain  and  weakness,  but  conscious  thought-con- 
struction of  the  conditions  you  would  manifest  in 
your  life  —  just  as  the  artist  bodies  forth  on  his 
canvas  the  picture  his  imagination  has  conceived 
—  is  the  sure  method  to  hasten  the  fulfillment  of 
your  strongest  desires  and  aims.  You  must  con- 
trol your  thoughts  for  they  are  always  creating 
something.  "  The  imaginative  power  in  man  is 
the  reflection  of  the  power  that  in  God  created  the 
Universe  "  (Evolution  of  Life  and  Form,  Annie 
Besant) . 

Rama  Prasad  says:     "As  the  balance  of  the 


356      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

Tattvas  brings  comfort  and  enjoyment  of  life,  so 
the  sense  of  comfort  and  enjoyment  which  colors 
our  Prdna  and  mind  when  we  put  ourselves  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  comfortable  restores  the  balance  of 
the  Tattvas.  And  when  the  balance  of  the  Tatt- 
vas is  restored  what  remains?  Disinclination  to 
work,  doubt,  laziness  and  other  feelings  of  that 
kind  can  no  longer  stand,  and  the  result  is  the  re- 
storation of  the  mind  to  perfect  calmness. 
.  .  .  But,  for  such  a  result  to  be  achieved 
there  must  be  long  and  powerful  application 
[Nature's  Finer  Forces}. 

See  to  it  that  you  contribute  no  discord  to  your 
environment;  if  so  unfortunate  as  to  come  in  con- 
tact with  it,  be  no  party  to  it.  By  every  act  of 
your  life  set  the  example  of  poise,  serenity,  and 
happy  confidence  in  ultimate  good.  Oppose  pas- 
sion and  pessimism  with  silent  thoughts  of  their 
opposites.  There  is  much  comfort  in  the  know- 
ledge that  through  beneficent  suggestion  we  may 
often  influence  for  good  a  nature  which  can  hear 
no  arguments  nor  opposing  opinions  without  be- 
ing stirred  to  excited  antagonism.  A  mental  at- 
mosphere of  love  and  confidence,  protects  us  from 
all  evil  thought-waves. 

It  is  necessary  to  give  final  emphasis  to  the  fact 
that  the  exercises  in  Yoga  breathing  are  not  meth- 
ods of  regular,  still  less  of  rhythmic,  breathing,  but, 
as  stated  in  the  first  chapter,  are  scientifically  de- 


Practical  Application  of  These  Laws      357 

signed  to  restore  the  balance  of  the  positive  and 
negative  currents  which  in  normal  breathing  flow 
rhythmically  and  alternately,  one  after  the  other, 
at  regular  periods  down  the  right  and  left  sides  of 
the  spine;  the  right  (positive)  and  left  (negative) 
lungs  being  correspondingly  charged.  The  ex- 
cess of  one  current,  or  the  undue  preponderance 
of  a  Tattva  causes  border;  then,  if  order  be  not 
restored,  disease.  It  is  the  inception  of  all  disease, 
organic  as  well  as  functional. 

The  normal  order  of  God's  vast  Universe  is 
based  upon  rhythmic  harmony,  and  the  health- 
ful functioning  of  all  his  creatures  upon  this  terres- 
trial globe  is  a  reflection  upon  the  gross,  or  visible, 
plane  of  activity  of  that  perfect,  harmonious 
rhythm.  Mark  well  that  I  say  healthful  func- 
tioning. We  all  know  that  this  normal  condition 
is  the  blessing  enjoyed  by  not  more  than  one  per- 
son in  five  hundred,  if  so  many. 

The  present  age  not  only  suffers  from  many; 
weaknesses  resulting  from  the  ignorance  and 
wrong-doing  of  past  generations,  but  has  involved 
itself  deeper  and  deeper  in  materialism,  separating 
itself  from  the  beneficent  spiritual  plane  of  its  be- 
ing, which  has  developed  hitherto  unknown  dis- 
eases encroaching  upon  and  impairing,  more  and 
more  with  the  progress  of  this  thing  mis-called 
civilization,  the  channels  of  vital  force,  the  nerv- 
ous system. 


358      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

The  corrective  exercises  are  designed  to  restore 
divine  order,  no  function  of  life  having  been  so 
misunderstood  and  neglected  during  centuries  as 
the  vital  one  of  breathing.  The  difference  be- 
tween the  two  exercises  is  very  great.  They  sup- 
plement each  other.  Alternate  breathing  renews 
and  freshens  the  human  battery,  undoing  the  mis- 
chief created  through  having  employed  one  cur- 
rent too  long;  it  is  nerve-calming  and  equalizing; 
for  it  restores  the  atoms  to  harmonious  activity, 
when  before  they  were  all  struggling  for  their  in- 
dividual "  breath  of  life." 

The  Held-Breath  describes  itself,  for  though 
the  breaths  are  taken  alternately  as  in  the  other 
exercises,  the  holding  is  the  important  part.  It 
is  nerve-energizing  to  a  greater  degree  —  and  acts 
more  promptly  —  than  any  other  remedy  for 
nerve-exhaustion  yet  devised;  because  the  thought, 
concentrating  Prdna  in  different  plexuses,  polar- 
izes the  electro-chemical  action,  refines  the  Tattvic 
vibrations,  and  raises  them  to  inconceivably  higher 
power.  This  exercise  for  Pranayama  (control  of 
Prdna}  thus  electrifies  all  the  nerves  of  the  body 
and  stimulates  all  the  organic  functions  to  their 
highest  activity.  I  have  had  many  proofs  of  its 
wonderfully  purifying,  renewing,  and  invigorating 
power  when  practiced  regularly  and  faithfully. 

Since  we  are  human  electric  batteries,  there  is 
no  slightest  doubt  in  my  mind  that  we  can  accom- 


Practical  Application  of  These  Laws      359 

plish  more  for  the  regeneration  of  our  bodies  in 
this  way  —  the  force  being  infinitely  finer  —  than 
can  be  done  by  the  application  of  high-power  cur- 
rents from  electrical  machines.  D'Arsonval's 
new  apparatus  (designed  to  destroy  the  "  germs 
of  old  age  ")  gives  an  alternating  current  of  one 
thousand  million  vibrations  per  second.  But  the 
mind  gains  nothing  by  this  treatment  beyond  hav- 
ing its  house  put  in  order  for  it.  Without  belit- 
tling that,  I  must  remind  you  that  the  mind  still 
remains  the  mischief-maker,  which,  uncontrolled, 
draws  discordant  vibrations  that  will  quickly  undo 
the  good.  Where  the  will-power  is  lacking  to 
gain  the  necessary  mental  control,  by  all  means 
try  the  electric-battery.  That  is  the  next  best 
thing,  but  remember  that  it  is  only  man's  clever 
device  to  replace  Divine  methods,  therefore  in- 
complete. 

This  explanation  amply  refutes  the  charge  that 
an  "  unnatural  method  of  breathing  is  taught  by 
Yoga  exercises."  Instead  of  "  reversing  the  nat- 
ural circulation  of  the  blood,  bringing  abnormal 
pressure  upon  psychic  centers  in  the  brain,"  as  one 
critic  charges,  the  exercises,  if  directions  for  prac- 
tice be  followed,  have  none  but  the  most  beneficial 
and  stimulating  effect  upon  both  the  blood  circu- 
lation and  the  circulation  of  Prana  (vital  force) 
in  the  nerves. 

Long  experience  has  proved  to  me  beyond  the 


360      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  BreatK 

shadow  of  a  doubt  that  these  corrective  exercises 
successfully  effect  a  purification  and  regulation  of 
the  Kosmic  currents  flowing  over  the  nerves  which, 
through  restoring  the  normal  balance  of  the  vital- 
currents,  restores  harmony  and  consequently 
strength  where  heretofore  discord  and  disease 
have  held  high  carnival  mainly  because  of  the  dis- 
ordered and  unnatural  breathing  which  has  become 
the  rule  among  mankind  instead  of  the  exception. 

Instances  of  harm  resulting  from  Yoga  exercises 
can  always  be  traced  to  injudicious  practice,  be- 
cause of  ignorance  of  the  forces  used  —  the  two 
phases  of  the  vital-current  and  the  Tattvic  vibra- 
tions composing  the  currents.  All  wholesale  con- 
demnation and  denunciation  are  based  also  upon 
ignorance,  but  are  due  to  observed  results  of  mal- 
practice. Unfortunately,  this  very  practice  has 
been  sanctioned  and  directed  sometimes  by  those 
who  command  confidence  because  supposedly  hav- 
ing been  trained  themselves  in  the  oldest  Eastern 
systems. 

But  I  would  caution  you  that  no  one  who  under- 
stands the  Science  of  Breath  would  dream  of  in- 
structing students  to  practice  the  Held-Breath 
exercise  for  long  periods  of  thirty  to  forty-five  min- 
utes. The  conditions  thus  produced  are  "  unnat- 
ural "  and  destroy  all  normal  activity.  They  are 
exactly  what  is  described  in  the  picturesque  phrase- 
ology of  the  Shivagama  as  the  state  when  "  the 


'Practical  Application  of  These  Laws      361 

fires  of  death  burn."  The  enthusiasts  who  thus  at- 
tempt to  develop  psychic  powers  by  a  tour  de  force, 
to  break  into  heaven,  as  they  perhaps  suppose,  by 
scaling  its  walls,  are  hopelessly  defeating  any  spirit- 
ual aspirations  they  may  have.  You  cannot  burst 
through  the  sheaths  without  shattering  them;  each 
must  be  refined  in  turn. 

Again  I  say:  Evolution  is  the  reverse  process 
of  involution.  We  must  begin  with  the  body  and 
its  directing  mind.  Soul-consciousness  is  gained  in 
no  other  way;  and  psychic  powers  are  but  a  source 
of  danger  and  tribulation,  of  weakness  to  the  body 
and  mind,  until  both  mental  sheaths  are  developed, 
the  higher,  sufficiently  to  recognize  its  power. 

Here,  again,  Anna  Kingsford  indicates  the  Per- 
fect Way:  "  It  is  vain  to  seek  the  inner  chamber 
without  first  passing  through  the  outer." 

Concentration  is  not  a  practice  to  be  restricted  to 
the  special  periods  devoted  to  it ;  but  as  facility  and 
power  are  gained  to  hold  the  mind  under  control, 
the  law  of  effective  thinking  and  doing  should  be 
applied  in  all  the  affairs  of  life.  It  should  become 
the  fixed  habit  to  concentrate  the  mind  upon  the 
affair  of  the  moment  no  matter  how  trivial  it  may 
be.  Only  thus  can  the  pernicious  trick  of  mind- 
wandering  be  overcome;  only  thus  can  the  mind 
be  trained  to  efficient  service  at  all  times.  And  as 
it  —  the  mind  —  is  making  you,  hour  by  hour, 
what  you  are,  is  it  not  really  the  most  important 


362      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

task  in  life  to  learn  to  direct  its  activities  in  ways 
beneficent  instead  of  ways  pernicious? 

It  is  only  when  we  can  attain  inward  calm,  can 
free  ourselves  from  the  tangle  of  the  common  daily 
perplexities  and  avocations,  that  we  gain  a  true 
perspective  of  the  things  that  so  absorb  us;  realize 
the  pettiness  of  most  of  them,  separate  the  wheat 
from  the  tares;  and  cultivate  a  judgment  that  will 
successfully  guide  us  and  bring  order  and  peace. 

There  can  be  no  final  word  on  this  vast  subject. 
Its  profound  importance  has  been  made  clear  to  all 
who  are  sufficiently  interested  to  think.  To  such 
there  will  be  no  fruitless  moments  of  thought  and 
endeavor.  Ever,  as  they  seek,  will  the  Path  be- 
come more  illuminated;  and  they  and  I  must  con- 
tinue to  learn  as  long  as  we  strive  for  "  More 
Light." 

ENVOI 

May  God's  blessing  bring  to  every  reader  of  this 
book  enlightenment  and  ever-increasing  under- 
standing of  Nature's  Laws,  which  are  inseparable 
from  the  Truth  of  Being. 


GLOSSARY 

The  very  name  Sanskrit  —  abbreviated  from  Sams- 
krita  —  implies  the  elaboration  and  subtle  nicety  of  its 
structure,  "  the  perfectly  constructed  speech  dedicated  to 
literary  and  religious  purposes,  but  also  the  spoken  lan- 
guage of  cultured  people  " ;  and  thus  distinguished  from 
the  vernacular  of  the  common  people,  Prakrita,  or  Prakrit, 
of  which  there  are  many  dialects. 

Although  the  Sanskrit  alphabet  contains  forty-eight  let- 
ters —  thirteen  vowels  and  thirty-five  consonants  — 
these  are  augmented  by  so  many  compound  letters  ac- 
cording as  they  are  grouped  in  words,  and  to  express 
shades  of  meaning  and  pronunciation,  that  about  five 
hundred  distinct  types,  or  symbols,  are  necessary  for  the 
complete  equipment  of  a  Sanskrit  font.  The  reason  for 
this  nice  distinction  is  the  conviction  that  number,  form, 
and  color  are  inherent  in  every  sound. 

Diacritical  marks,  corresponding  somewhat  to  the 
Greek  "  breathings,"  under  and  over  letters,  both  vow- 
els and  consonants,  change  their  sound-value  entirely;  and 
as  these  lack  significance  to  English  eyes,  having  no  cor- 
respondence with  English  usage,  the  best  method  to  con- 
vey the  pronunciation  of  Sanskrit  words  has  been  to  spell 
them  in  English  as  nearly  as  possible  phonetically.  For 
example:  the  spelling  Sakti  gives  no  hint  of  the  pronun- 
ciation of  the  word.  In  Sanskrit  the  S  would  have  a 

363 


364       The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

breathing  mark  over  it  by  which  the  letter  would  be  rec- 
ognized as  having  very  nearly  the  sound-value  of  sh  in 
shun,  or  ss  in  session.  Therefore,  the  spelling  for  the 
English  reader  should  be  Shakti;  so  also  Sushumnd,  not 
Susumnd;  Akasha,  not  Akasa;  Shiva,  not  Siva. 
I  A  is  the  most  important  vowel  in  Sanskrit,  and  its 
two  sounds,  long  like  a  in  ah!  and  short  like  u  in  up, 
are  distinguished  by  a  slight  change  in  the  letters.  Short 
or  "  medial "  a  is  considered  inherent  in  every  consonant, 
unless  it  is  followed  by  another  vowel.  A  typical  word 
to  illustrate  pronunciation  and  common  usage  is  Pandit, 
a  learned  Brahmin,  which  has  become  most  familiar  to 
English  eyes  as  well  as  ears  in  the  spelling  Pundit,  which 
preserves  its  pronunciation.  In  the  English  Theosophical 
works  of  the  best-known  writers,  long  a  in  Sanskrit  words 
has  the  circumflex  accent  over  it,  and  short  a  is  without 
mark. 

E  has  the  sound  of  a  in  may;  long  i,  of  i  in  machine; 
short  ij  of  i  in  kin;  long  u  is  like  oo  in  moon,  and  short, 
like  u  in  push. 

Adi  —  ah'dee ;  primordial  universal  Force.  "  The  ve- 
hicle containing  potentially  everything." 

Agni  —  ag'nee  (a  almost  like  a  in  as,  g  hard);  fire, 
sacrificial  fire,  god  of  fire;  name  sometimes  given  to 
Tejas  Tattva. 

I  Akasha  —  ah-kah'shuh;  subtle  ether,  fifth  Tattva,  the 
subtle  sound-granules  of  space,  without  and  within  every 
atom. 

Anupadaka  —  on-oo-pah'du-ku ;  the  sixth  Tattva. 

Amrita  —  om-ree'tuh;  the  nectar  of  the  gods;  the 
water  of  eternal  life. 


Glossary  365 

Apana  —  up-ah'nuh;  a  manifestation  of  Prana,  down- 
breathing,  eliminator  of  wastes. 

Apas  —  ah'pus,  a  Tattva,  water  element,  stimulator  of 
taste,  gustiferous  ether. 

Atma  —  aht'muh;  the  Spirit  of  the  Universe,  highest 
Principle  in  man. 

Aum  —  ah-oo-mu  (all  blended  together).  The  sacred 
word ;  its  pronunciation  needs  to  be  heard ;  it  may  be  pro- 
nounced as  two,  three,  or  seven  syllables,  setting  up  cor- 
responding vibrations. 

Avidyd  —  uh-veed'yah ;  ignorance,  darkness. 

Buddhi  —  Bood'hi,  understanding,  wisdom,  vehicle  of 
the  Spirit,  connecting  Atma  with  Manas;  "  the  deter- 
minative faculty  " ;  sixth  Principle  in  man. 

Chakra  —  chuk'ruh;  a  wheel,  disc,  a  circling  motion; 
a  cycle  of  seasons  or  of  years. 

Chitta  —  chit-tuh ;  "  mind  stuff." 

Fohat  —  Fo-hut ;  force  in  its  highest,  most  subtle  state. 

Ghdri  —  gu-hah'ree  (compound  consonants  like  ph, 
kht  th,  gh,  and  bh  are  aspirated  separately  as  in  ink- 
horn,  loghouse)  ;  a  period  of  twenty-four  minutes. 

Ida  —  ee-dah;  the  negative  Nadi  down  left  side  of 
spine. 

Ishvara  —  Eesh-wah-ru;  the  soul  of  the  Universe,  the 
same  as  Brahma,  also  the  god  Shiva. 

Kama  —  kah-muh ;  desire,  longing,  emotion. 

Karana-sharira  —  kah'ruh-nu-shuh-ree-ruh ;  Causal 
body. 

Karma  —  kur-muh ;  the  moral  law  of  compensation  op- 
erating to  produce  all  conditions  of  life ;  that  force  which 
operates  to  connect  cause  and  effect  unvaryingly. 


366      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

Manas  —  mon-us;  mind,  the  third  Principle  of  the 
Universe  from  below. 

Mantra — mun'truh,  metrical  word  or  verse  having 
an  essential  rhythmic  virtue;  hence  spell,  charm,  incanta- 
tion. 

Mdydvi-rupa —  mah-yah'vee—  roo-puh  (see  text  for  full 
definition) ;  an  astral  body. 

Mula-prakriti  —  moo'luh-pruh-kree'tee ;  undifferenti- 
ated  matter,  from  mula,  root,  and  prakriti,  matter,  source. 

Nadi  —  nah'dee ;  a  tube  or  a  line  along  which  some- 
thing flows,  applied  indiscriminately  to  nerves,  arteries, 
and  veins. 

Om,  same  as  Aum,  which  see;  "that  undifferentiated 
word  that  has  produced  all  manifestations." 

Padma  —  pud-muh ;  the  lotus,  a  center  of  nervous  force. 

Plngala  —  pin-guh-lah;  the  positive  Nadi  on  right  side 
of  spine. 

Pradhdna  —  prud-hah'nuh ;  unevolved  matter,  mani- 
festation of  Mula-prakriti;  chief  person  or  thing. 

Prakrita  —  pruh-kree'tuh ;  the  derived  speech,  the  va- 
rious East  Indian  dialects  of  the  common  people. 

Prakriti  —  pruh-kree'tee ;  undifferentiated  Kosmic  mat- 
ter. Nature. 

Prdna  —  prah'nuh;  breath  of  life,  vital  force,  spirit, 
electricity  and  magnetism  in  different  phases  of  the  most 
subtle  state. 

Prithivi  —  prit-hi-vee' ;  a  Tattva,  the  earth  element, 
stimulator  of  smell,  the  odoriferous  ether. 

Purusha  —  poo'rus-huh;  the  personal  life-giving  prin- 
ciple in  all  things,  human  soul,  Supreme  Soul,  spirit,  the 
intelligence  pervading  Nature. 


Glossary  367 

Rajah  Yoga  —  Rah'juh  Yo-guh;  literally,  Royal  yoga, 
the  conquering  of  the  lower  nature  and  uniting  the  soul 
with  divinity,  or  attainment  of  soul-consciousness  and  real- 
izing that  divinity  within. 

Rayi  —  ruh-yee ;  negative  phase  of  matter,  lunar  ray. 

Samadhi  —  su-mahd'hee ;  perfect  concentration,  a  state 
of  super-consciousness  that  carries  one  beyond  the  limits 
of  reason ;  meditation  bringing  one  "  face  to  face  with 
facts  which  no  instinct  or  reason  can  ever  know  " ;  highest 
and  last  stage  of  yoga. 

Samana  —  su-mah'nuh;  a  manifestation  of  Prana,  on- 
breathing,  active  in  assimilation  and  renewing  processes. 

Shakti  —  shuk'tee ;  the  negative  phase  of  any  force ;  the 
seven  shaktis  correspond  with  the  "  sons  of  Fohat ";  the 
consort  of  a  god,  the  god  being  the  positive  phase  of  a 
force. 

Shivagama  —  Shee-vah'guh-muh ;  an  ancient  Sanskrit 
work  attributed  to  Shiva. 

Shloka  —  sh-lo'kuh ;  Vedic  verses. 

Sthula-sharira  —  st-hoo'luh— shu-ree-ruh ;   gross  body. 

Sukshma-sharira  —  sook'shmuh;  subtle  or  etheric  body. 

Svastika  —  swus-ti-kuh;  a  sacred  symbol  among  an- 
cient peoples  of  almost  world-wide  use;  any  lucky  or  aus- 
picious object. 

Tantra  —  tun-truh ;  Sanskrit  treatises  on  the  science  of 
the  human  body  and  soul. 

Tattva  —  tut-twuh ;  "  the  substance  out  of  which  the 
universe  is  formed,"  and  "  the  power  by  which  it  is  sus- 
tained " ;  the  true  elements ;  the  essence  or  substance  of 
anything;  a  form  of  vibration;  truth,  reality,  opposed  to 
what  is  fallacious.  In  compounds  with  other  words, 


368      The  Law  of  the  Rhythmic  Breath 

tattva  always  implies  knowledge.  In  the  original  edition 
of  Nature's  Finer  Forces,  Rama  Prasad  spelled  the  word 
tatwa,  which  gives  the  correct  pronunciation;  for  al- 
though Sanskrit  v  has  commonly  the  sound  of  v  in  every 
it  is  softened  to  w  when  preceded  by  a  consonant. 

It  was  sadly  misleading,  and  has  contributed  much  to 
the  confusion  concerning  the  pronunciation  of  this  word, 
that  the  English  editor  of  the  later  edition  of  Rama 
Prasad's  book  changed  the  spelling  to  the  Sanskrit  form 
tattva  without  giving  any  explanation;  and  as  all  the 
other  changes  in  orthography  were  to  the  end  of  indicat- 
ing the  correct  pronunciation,  the  natural  inference  was 
that  this  came  under  the  same  rule.  As  a  half-dozen  dic- 
tionaries and  as  many  Sanskrit  grammars  might  be  con- 
sulted without  finding  a  hint  of  other  pronunciation  of  v 
than  in  English  vine,  the  above  omission  has  tended  to 
fasten  this  erroneous  pronunciation  upon  the  word. 
Monier-Williams'  Sanskrit  Dictionary  gives  the  rule  I 
have  cited,  and  I  have  the  further  authority  of  a  Hindu 
Sanskrit  scholar  for  the  pronunciation  given. 

Tejas  —  tay-jus;  a  Tattva,  the  fire  element,  stimulator 
of  the  sense  of  sight,  the  luminiferous  ether. 

Truti  —  troo-tee ;  a  division  of  time,  a  measure  of 
space;  an  atom;  one  hundred  and  fifty  trutis  equal  one 
second. 

Udana  —  oo-da-nuh;  a  manifestation  of  Prdna,  up- 
breathing. 

Upadhi  —  oo-pahd'hee ;  a  basis  of  consciousness,  of 
which  there  are  three  correlated  to  three  regions  of  the 
Universe,  sensuous,  intellectual,  and  spiritual. 


Glossary  369 

Upanishad  —  Oo-pun-ish-ud ;  ancient  mystical  writings, 
"  secret  knowledge." 

Vayu  —  Vah'you ;  a  Tattva,  air  element,  stimulator  of 
the  sense  of  touch  and  feeling,  the  tangiferous  ether. 

Vyana  —  vy-ah'nuh ;  that  manifestation  of  Prana  in 
which  Apas  is  prevalent,  all  over  the  body. 

Yoga  —  yo'guh;  a  division  of  Sankhya  philosophy 
teaching  methods  by  which  complete  union  with  Deity  is 
attained  (yoga,  to  yoke).  The  adjective  descriptive  of 
methods  is  also  yoga. 

Yogi  —  yo-gee  (hard  g)  ;  one  trained  in  yoga  meth- 
ods; a  contemplative  saint. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

•Nature's   Finer   Forces.     Rama    Prasad,    M.A.,    F.T.S. 

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(Theosophical  Publishing  Company,  244  Lexington 

Ave.,  New  York.) 
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(Published  by  the  author,  New  York,  1878.) 
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(Theosophical    Pub.    Society,    3    Langham    Place, 

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Isis  Unveiled.     Mme.  H.  P.  Blavatsky. 
Key  to  Theosophy.     Mme.  H.  P.  Blavatsky. 
The  Voice  of  the  Silence.     Mme.  H.  P.  Blavatsky. 
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(Oxford,  at  the  Clarendon  Press.) 
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'Ancient  Wisdom.     Annie  Besant. 
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(Theosophical  Pub.  Society,  Benares  and  London.) 
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(The  Theosophist,  beginning  January,  1908.) 


Us 


0175-u 


,  generation,  conservation,  and  contr 


